The Music of Our Lives
by Ratchet McCloud
Summary: On the one-year anniversary of his previous visit, Hunter goes by himself to visit his mother. The visit isn't purely social, however; his intent is to ask his mother for advice on certain matters. This will have a huge impact on the team... (Pairings: Hunter x Colleen, Blitz x OC; takes place after the series; rated T for slight language) Reviews/criticism are appreciated.
1. Advice

THE MUSIC OF OUR LIVES

a Road Rovers fan fiction by Ratchet McCloud

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs or canon characters in this fic.**

Summary: Hunter leaves Rovers HQ by himself to visit his mother on the anniversary of his first visit, and it's not purely a social visit; he wants to ask his mother's advice on certain matters. This will impact the team in a big way... (Pairings: Hunter x Colleen, Blitz x OC, takes place after episode 13 of the series)

 **Chapter 1**

 **Advice**

Featured song: "Tell Him"

Written/composed by: Linda Thompson, Walter Afanasieff, David Foster  
Originally performed by Céline Dion and Barbra Streisand  
From album _Let's Talk About Love_ (Céline Dion, 1997)  
(A/N: I took a slight liberty with the lyrics.)

 **22 February 1998, 06h00 local time  
** **Road Rovers HQ, USA  
** It was a beautiful spring morning at Road Rovers HQ. Everyone's favorite Goldador canosapien—you know him as Hunter Clinton—sat up in bed, streched, and yawned. After going through his pre-breakfast routine (shower, grooming, putting on clothes), the memory of visiting his mother one year ago came to him, a smile came upon his face, and he found himself whistling happily as he headed to the mess hall for breakfast. He had to turn on the lights, for he was the only one awake at this time. Fixing his breakfast, he took it to the table and ate in silence. While he did so, a human with white hair and glowing eyes—Dr. Shepard—entered the room. "Good morning, Hunter," he greeted him.

"*yawn* Morning, Master," Hunter returned the greeting.

Dr. Shepard poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down across from Hunter. "I heard you whistling in the halls a few minutes ago. You must be in high spirits this morning, am I right?"

"Yes, Master. It was on this day last year that I found my mother and went to visit her. I'd like to go visit her today, if that's all right with you." Hunter paused, as if to consider something. "There are also some things that I need to ask her about."

"Ah, the matters of the heart, eh?"

Hunter's mouth was full of food when the Master asked that, and, as a result, he did a spit take. After a few seconds of coughing and spluttering, he said, "As a matter of fact, yes, but I've never talked about it with anyone. How could you possibly know?"

Dr. Shepard smirked. "My dear boy, that's why _I'm_ the Master." Hunter simply rolled his eyes and continued eating, and Shepard spoke again. "Anyway, back to your request. I suppose some free time would be good for you. Therefore, I have decided to grant your request."

Hunter perked up. "Really, Master?"

"Yes, Hunter. Go see your mother, and you have a great time." With that, Shepard got up from the table, taking his coffee with him, and left the mess hall. A few minutes later, Hunter finished his breakfast and headed for the vehicle bay. Before long, the Sky Rover was headed for Wyoming...

 **22 February 1998, 06h30 local time  
** **Undisclosed location in Wyoming, USA  
** The sun was coming up in the sky when the Sky Rover reached Wyoming. Hunter started scanning the landmarks on the ground for the ranch house where his mother lived. After a few minutes of flying, he found the ranch and landed the Sky Rover a respectable distance from it. Walking up to the house, he knocked on the door.

The rancher answered it. "You look familiar," he said. "You would be Hunter, wouldn't ya?"

"That's right, sir," Hunter replied.

"And you must be here to see your ma, am I right?"

"Yes, sir."

"All right. Hold on, I'll go get her." The rancher retreated back into the house, and before long he was back with a middle-aged female Golden Retriever—Hunter's mother. When she saw Hunter, she ran up to him, put her front paws on Hunter's shoulders, and started licking his face. {Son!} she barked. {I'm so happy to see you!}

{I'm happy to see you too, Mom.} Hunter replied in barks. {There's so much I want to say to you, but I'd rather not say it in front of your master. Can we go for a walk?}

{Sure, son. Of course.} And so, they went for a walk. They conversed for a long time—he with words and she with barks—each catching the other up on the past year. The walk ended in the shade of a very large tree not far from the ranch house. While Hunter and his mother sat in its shade, Hunter's mother asked, {So, son, do you have a mate yet?}

"That's what I want to talk with you about, Mom." Hunter replied. "There is one female that I've had my eye on lately. Here's her picture." And Hunter showed his mother a photograph. {She's beautiful, son,} Hunter's mother said. {You have great taste in females.}

"Thank you, Mom."

{Does this gorgeous bitch have a name?}

"Her name's Colleen."

{Oh! Even her name's beautiful! Congratulations!}

"Thank you."

{What's she like?}

"As you saw, she's beautiful. And she's a Road Rover, like me. She's smart, she's funny, she's got a wicked powerful roundhouse, that sort of thing, y'know."

{So, you have some pretty strong feelings for this one.}

"Yeah. As a matter of fact, I think she's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with."

{Does she know that you're hot for her?}

Hunter sighed. "No. I've never told her."

{And why the hell not?} Hunter's mother growled.

"Because I don't have any idea how I can bring the subject up. Even if I did know how..." Hunter cleared his throat and began to sing:

 _I'm scared, so afraid to show I care_

 _Will she think me weak if I tremble when I speak?_

 _What if there's another one she's thinking of?_

 _Maybe she's in love, I'd feel like a fool_

 _Life can be so cruel, I don't know what to do_

Then Hunter's mother responded, also in song—well, howling:

 _{I've been there, with my heart out in my paw}_

 _{But most important of all, you can't let the chance}_

 _{To love her pass you by...}_

 _{Tell her, tell her that the sun and moon rise in her eyes, reach out to her}_

 _{And whisper tender words so soft and sweet}_

 _{Hold her close to feel her heart beat}_

 _{Love will be the gift you give yourself}_

 _{Touch her with the gentleness you feel inside}_

 _{Your love can't be denied, the truth will set you free}_

 _{You'll have what's meant to be; all in time, you'll see}_

Then Hunter confessed:

 _I love her_

And his mother replied:

 _{Then show her}_

Hunter declared:

 _Of that much I can be sure_

His mother advised:

 _{Hold her close to you}_

And Hunter kept baring his soul:

 _I don't think I could endure if I let her walk away_

 _When I have so much to say..._

Then his mother howled again:

 _{Tell her, tell her that the sun and moon rise in her eyes, reach out to her}_

 _{And whisper tender words so soft and sweet}_

 _{Hold her close to feel her heart beat}_

 _{Love will be the gift you give yourself}_

 _{Love is light that truly glows in the hearts of those who know}_

 _{It's a steady flame that grows}_

 _{Feed the fire with all the passion you can show}_

 _{Tonight love will assume its place, this memory time cannot erase}_

 _{Your faith will lead love where it has to go}_

 _{Tell her, tell her that the sun and moon rise in her eyes, reach out to her}_

 _{And whisper, whisper words so soft and sweet}_

 _{Hold her close to feel her heart beat}_

 _{Love will be the gift you give yourself}_

 _{Never let her go}_

Things fell silent for a while. Then Hunter said, "Wow, Mom. You're a wonderful singer."

{Thanks, son,} his mother replied. {You're not so bad yourself, you know.} She chuffed—the canine equivalent of a chuckle—and added, {It's because you have my genes.} Hunter also chuckled at that comment. {But what about the advice? How was that?}

"Pretty good, Mom, pretty good. You're right. I'll tell her." And he got up to return to the Sky Rover. Quick as he was, however, his mother was faster. {Son! Wait!} she barked.

Hunter turned to face his mother. "What is it, Mom?"

{I've just had a wonderful idea.} She smiled. {I would very much like to meet this beautiful Collie who's taken my son's heart.}

"You... you want to meet Colleen?"

{Of course, son. Is there any reason why I shouldn't?}

Hunter considered his mother's question for a moment or two, then said, "No, there isn't. All right. Let's go." So they returned to the ranch house to ask the rancher's permission to let her leave with Hunter. It took some fast talking and outrageous flattery on Hunter's part, but the rancher granted it. So they were off. Hunter made a quick stop at a jewelry store, bought an engagement ring, and then the two were headed back to Road Rovers headquarters.

 **End chapter 1**


	2. Snow Angels

THE MUSIC OF OUR LIVES

a Road Rovers fan fiction by Ratchet McCloud

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs or canon characters in this fic.**

Summary: Hunter leaves Rovers HQ by himself to visit his mother on the anniversary of his first visit, and it's not purely a social visit; he wants to ask his mother's advice on certain matters. This will impact the team in a big way... (Pairings: Hunter x Colleen, takes place after episode 13 of the series)

 **Chapter 2  
Snow Angels  
**Featured song: "All I Want Is Forever"  
Written and composed by Diane Warren  
Originally performed by Regina Belle and James "J.T." Taylor  
From album _Master of the Game_ (J. T. Taylor, 1989)

 **22 February 1998, 09h00 local time  
Road Rovers HQ, USA  
**It was mid-morning when the Sky Rover returned to Road Rovers headquarters. Hunter parked the Sky Rover in the vehicle bay, and then he and his mother disembarked. Shaking herself to get rid of some perceived discomfort, Hunter's mother barked, {Wow, that was one interesting experience.}

"First time flying, huh, Mom?" Hunter asked her.

{Like that, yes,} she whined. {I don't know how anyone could ever get used to flying at that speed.} She shook herself again. {So, son, where is everyone? It's too quiet here.}

"Let's see..." Hunter considered. "They'll all have eaten breakfast by now, so let's try the recreation room."

{Lead the way, son.} So Hunter led his mother toward the rec room. On the way, they passed a room with six devices that looked like phone booths. Hunter's mother noticed the machines. {What are those things?} she asked Hunter.

"Those machines are called Transdogrifiers," Hunter explained. "The Transdogrifier is the explanation for how I got this body and how I became a Road Rover. When a normal dog steps in, they gain a humanoid body shape, and all the abilities that go with it—language, bipedal locomotion, and so forth. And when a Transdogrified canine steps in, they change back." Hunter's mother had a skeptical look on her face, so Hunter said, "I think it might be better if I showed you. Come on." So he entered the room, stepped into one of the devices, and closed the door. There was a flash of light, and when Hunter stepped out, he was in his natural form, although he was a bit unsteady on his feet—after all, it had been a while since the last time he'd been in that form. {See?} he said. {It's just like I said.}

{Did it hurt?} his mother asked.

{Not at all, although it is a little jarring to have your perspective shift suddenly like that.} He stepped back into the device, closed the door, and a flash of light later, he was back in Road Rover form. "So, what do you think, Mom?" he asked.

{How truly remarkable,} she barked. She went up to the device Hunter used. {You said it doesn't hurt?}

"Correct."

{Anything else I should know about these machines?}

"Actually, there is. Watch this." Hunter ran out of the room at full speed, then ran back in—all in less than a second. "The Transdogrifier is also the reason why I can do what I just did. It might be different with you, though. I have five teammates, and being Transdogrified affected each of us differently. Most of us gained super powers: I have super speed; Colleen has super reflexes; Blitz, our Doberman teammate, has very sharp claws; and Exile, our Siberian Husky teammate, can burn or freeze things with his gaze."

{So these things have turned you guys into superheroes.}

"I suppose that's one way to look at it, Mom."

{What about your other two teammates?}

"Well, that's where things got interesting. Shag, our Polish Lowland Sheepdog teammate, was too big to fit into the Transdogrifier, so Shag's transformation was only partial. Shag gained a humanoid body, but only partially gained the ability to speak. Shag still gained a super power, sort of—Shag's fur can store things that shouldn't be able to fit in there. And Scout, a Rottweiler who's actually my Master's pet, was a test subject for an experimental version of the Transdogrifier. Being subjected to the device made him mentally unstable. He goes into a blood frenzy if he sees any of us get seriously hurt. We call him Muzzle because he has to be restrained whenever he goes into the field with us... that is, until we are ready to unleash him, and when we do, it's not pretty."

{I see.} Without another word, she ran toward the device and jumped in. Hunter tried to stop her, but she'd already closed the door. There was a flash of light, and when she stepped out, she was bipedal and wearing the standard Road Rover armor. Or rather, when she _tried_ to step out, because she tripped over her own feet (seeing as she wasn't used to walking on only two legs) and fell, the left side of her face coming into contact with the floor.

"Ohmygosh! Mom, are you all right?!" Hunter rushed over to his mother and helped her up.

"Yes, son, I'm fine. My left cheek hurts, though, and it feels swollen. I must have a bruise." Hunter took a look, then said, "Yeah, Mom, you've got a massive one on your cheek—wait a second, something's happening, and it's an unexpected twist."

"What's happening?"

"Either I'm seeing things, or the bruise is getting smaller as I'm looking at it."

"Come again?"

"It's healing rapidly." About that time, the bruise completely disappeared. "And now there's no more bruise."

Unconvinced, Hunter's mother was about to voice her skepticism, but her mouth froze in the open position, as though she were considering something. "Come to think of it, I can't feel the bruise anymore. I think you're right, son. It's gone! Seems like I've got super healing or something."

"So it would seem." Then Hunter remembered what had just happened. "That was really stupid, Mom, just jumping into the Transdogrifier like that! You could have been seriously harmed!"

"I figured the best way to understand what it was all about is to experience the transformation for myself."

"Well, you certainly did that. So, how was it like to walk on two legs for the first time—and involving the heels, no less?"

"I wouldn't really call that walking, son. I took one step and tripped."

"Would you like to practice walking before I introduce you to the team?"

"Yeah, I think that'd be best." So Hunter's mother walked around the room for a few minutes until she was steady enough that she didn't have to hold onto Hunter for support, and then they were on their way. Some minutes later, they reached the rec room. Sure enough, all of Hunter's teammates were there. Blitz, Exile, and Shag were playing poker (yeah yeah yeah, I know, it's cliché, shut up) and Colleen and Scout were watching a _Homeward Bound_ videocassette on the television. None of them noticed Hunter or his mother—the guys were too engrossed in their card game; and Colleen and Scout had their backs to Hunter. So Hunter greeted them, "Hey, guys."

"Comrade Hunter!/Hunter!/Runrer!/Huntie!" his teammates all said in unison. (You figure out who said what.)

"Where were you being all morning, Comrade Hunter?" Exile asked. "You were goneski and we looked everywhere for you!"

"I think it's obvious where I was, Exile," Hunter deadpanned. "Guys, I'd like for you to meet my mother..." Hunter trailed off and, after a few seconds of silence, snapped his fingers. "I just realized that I don't know my own mother's name! Yet another unexpected twist! Bummer!"

"Goldenrod," his mother supplied. "Call me Goldie, though." After the guys all said some variation of "Pleasure to meet you" and Goldie reciprocated, Goldie fixed her eyes on Colleen, who'd remained back somewhat. "You must be Colleen," she said to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too."

"The pleasure is all mine, Goldie," Colleen replied. As Colleen and Goldie went aside to get to know each other better, the others crowded around Hunter. "Yeah, guys," he told them, "I went to visit my mother. It was her idea to come back with me, though; she wanted to meet the whole team."

"And what about being Transdogrified, Hunter?" Blitz queried.

"Also her idea, Blitz. She asked me about the Transdogrifier, and I answered her questions, but I didn't know she was going to try it out so soon." Hunter looked toward the place where Goldie and Colleen went to talk. "Well, it looks like Mom and Colleen are hitting it off pretty well." Blitz, Exile, and Shag had to agree.

"Yes, it looks like they're getting along quite well, Hunter," another male voice piped up.

"Well, what can I say, Master, my mother just has this way about her—" Hunter did a double take. "Master! How long have you been in the room?"

"Just got here, actually. Can we speak, in my office?" Shepard didn't exactly sound pleased.

"Sure." So the two went to Dr. Shepard's office. Shepard entered first. "Close the door behind you, Hunter," he said. Hunter did so. Sitting down behind his desk, Shepard pointed at the chair in front of the desk and said, "Hunter, sit." So Hunter did. For several seconds, Shepard said nothing. He just leaned over his desk, his head supported by his elbows, and he started massaging his temples with his knuckles. Finally, he spoke. "Hunter, what on earth possessed you to bring a civilian dog back here and let her use the Transdogrifier? Do you realize that the device could have killed her?"

"Yes, Master," Hunter admitted, "but there are two things." He held up a fist with the index finger held up. "One: It wasn't my idea to bring my mother back here; it was hers. She wanted to meet Colleen." He then held up his middle finger to join his index finger. "And two: I didn't know that my mother had any intention to use the Transdogrifier until it was too late to stop her." He put his hand down. "So none of this is really my fault."

Dr. Shepard paused to consider Hunter's words, then he sighed. "Well, in any event, what's done is done. Did your mother say why she wanted to undergo the transformation?"

"Yes, but only after the fact. She said that she thought the best way to understand it was to experience it for herself."

"And did she manifest any ability that one might consider superhuman?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, she did. It seems that any injury she suffers now heals completely in just a few seconds."

"I see. How do you know this?"

"Well, as she was stepping out of the Transdogrifier, she tripped, fell, and kind of face-planted, giving her a really nasty bruise on the cheek. The bruise healed in less than ten seconds, Master. At first I thought I was seeing things, but when she told me that she couldn't even feel the bruise anymore I knew that what I'd seen wasn't a hallucination."

Shepard tapped his chin pensively. "Interesting. Yes, very interesting." He stood up slowly and started pacing. "It would appear that your mother shall get more than she bargained for, Hunter."

"Master?" Hunted asked, confused.

"I'm going to have her join the team, Hunter. Someone with that ability would be perfect for the front lines, yes?"

"Whatever you think is best, Master," Hunter said submissively, although he felt like dancing at that moment. _Yes!_ he thought. _My mom's going to be a Road Rover! This is awesome!_

"I'm glad that we're on the same page, Hunter. That will be all. You may return to your previous activities now." And he returned to the chair behind his desk. Hunter nodded and left, returning to the rec room. When he got there, he saw that Colleen and Goldie had finished talking and were just hanging out watching _Homeward Bound_. Hunter smiled. _This would be the perfect opportunity to put my mother's advice to good use_ , he thought. So he sneaked up behind Colleen, put his hands over her eyes, and said in an affected voice, "Guess who."

"Is that you, Huntie?" Colleen asked.

"Dang, you guessed right, Colleen. I can never fool you."

"Is there something you wanted, Huntie?"

"Actually, Colleen, there is. Could we speak in private?"

"Of course, Huntie. Any particular spot?"

"No, not really. How about we go for a walk outside?"

"Say no more, Huntie. Let's go!" And the two were off. Goldie saw this and said, to no one in particular, "That's my boy!"

A few minutes later, Hunter and Colleen, dressed in their winter gear, were outside. "So," Colleen asked, "Your mum told me that you have feelings for me. Is this true?"

"Well..." Hunter cleared his throat. "Yes, it is. I think that you're the smartest, bravest, nicest, and most beautiful female I've ever laid eyes on. I could look into those shimmering pools of blue that you call eyes and be totally lost in them. Your voice sounds like an angelic chorus to me; I honestly could listen to it all day long and never tire of hearing it. And those flawless kicks of yours, wow! Nothing short of amazing to behold! I love everything about you—no, let me rephrase that—I love _you_ , Colleen Blair. I always have and always will. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you this sooner; I didn't see how I could bring it up without it being weird."

"It's all right, Huntie," Colleen assured him. "I've had a crush on you for the longest time too. Hearing that you feel the same way fills me with joy and happiness."

"That's good to know." And with that Hunter started breaking into song:

 _All I want, all I want is forever  
I don't want much from you, just your love my whole life through, that's all I want, yeah, that's all I want  
And all I need is to be with you always  
I don't need much, you see, I just need eternity, to be with you, yeah, to be with you_

 _Forever, all I want is forever  
Am I asking too much asking for all your love forever?_

 _All I know is when we're together, baby  
Time passes much too fast, and I want to make it last, last forevermore, yes, forevermore  
And all my life, I've been waiting to find you  
Now that you're finally here, I want you always near to share my life, yeah, to share my life_

 _Forever, all I want is forever  
Am I asking too much asking for all your love  
Forever, won't you give me forever?  
I'm not asking too much asking for all your love forever_

 _Just say that you will stay for always  
And always you'll be mine  
Just till the end of time_

 _Forever, all I want is forever  
Am I asking too much asking for all your love  
Forever, all I want is forever  
Am I asking too much asking for all your love forever?_

When Hunter finished singing, he produced a velvet box from somewhere on his person and got down on one knee in the snow. As he opened the box, revealing a ring encrusted with many tiny diamonds, he asked, "So, Colleen, may I have all your love forever?"

Colleen was thunderstruck. She couldn't speak for nearly a minute. Then she realized exactly what Hunter was asking of her, and she regained her composure. Smirking playfully at him, she said, "Only on the condition that you give me yours forever, Huntie." Without missing a beat, Hunter said, "You've got a deal." With that, the two came together in a gentle embrace, and their mouths met. When their lips parted, Colleen said, "I love you so much, Huntie-Wuntie."

"And I love you, my beautiful English rose," Hunter replied, slipping the ring on Colleen's ring finger. And they kissed again. It was a wonderful moment for the both of them. Hunter and Colleen spent the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon outside throwing snowballs, making snowmen, and making snow angels. Finally, at about 16h00, they went back inside. The rest of the team was waiting for them in the rec room. "Ah, Comrade Hunter, Comrade Colleen," Exile said to them. "Where were you two being all dayski?"

"We went outside to talk," Hunter answered him. "Well, we did more than just talk, actually."

Then Shag said something unintelligible, but the inflections indicated that a question was being asked. " _Ja_ , what else did you guys do?" Blitz piped up.

"We did other stuff," Colleen replied, "but the most wonderful thing relates to this." And she lifted up her hand, showing them the ring on her finger.

"That is being an engagement ringski, Comrade Colleen," Exile observed. Blitz's eyes went wide.

"That's right. Huntie proposed to me, and I said yes. Guys, we're getting married!"

Shag said something unintelligible. Exile nodded in response. "It is indeed being wonderful news, Well saidski, Shag." Goldie didn't say a word—at least, not at first. She simply embraced Colleen. "Welcome to the family," she told her.

"Thank you, Goldie," Colleen said. "You have no idea how happy that makes me."

Goldie held up a hand. "Please," she said to Colleen, "call me Mom." Then she added, "But only if you really want to. Just know that you're OK in my book, seeing as you're Hunter's special someone." For the second time that morning Colleen was filled with immeasurable happiness, and she embraced Goldie again. "Thank you so much, Mum," she said as she did so. "Think nothing of it, dear one," Goldie replied.

Blitz, however, did not congratulate the new couple. As a matter of fact, he didn't do anything. He had gone catatonic when Colleen flashed the ring. When he recovered enough to actually do something, he got up and fled to his quarters. When he got there, he flung himself on the bed, buried his face in his pillow, and began to cry his eyes out. Before long, there was a knock on his door. "Blitz?" It was Hunter. "Are you all right? You ran out of the rec room like you were escaping from a demon."

" _Ja_ , Hunter, I'm fine," Blitz lied. "I just want to be alone for now."

"OK." And Hunter left. So Blitz went back to crying into his pillow and feeling rather sorry for himself. And he did that for the rest of that day, while his teammates ate dinner and had social activities.

 **23 February 1998, 08h00 local time  
Road Rovers HQ, USA  
**The sun was shining as the Road Rovers gathered to eat breakfast. Well, not all of them. Hunter was the first to notice that someone was missing. "Guys," he asked his teammates, "where's Blitz?"

"I am not knowing, Comrade Hunter," Exile said. "I haven't been seeing him yetski today."

"Neither have I," Colleen said. Shag and Goldie said similar things, and then Goldie asked, "Could he still be in his quarters?"

"I suppose it's possible, Mom," Hunter conceded. "He _did_ kind of bolt from the rec room yesterday after our big announcement, and he did sound kind of sad when I tried to talk to him shortly after that. On top of that, he never came out of his quarters again for the rest of that day. I knew he had a crush on Colleen, but I never thought he'd take that kind of news so hard." Hunter had a sudden thought. "I've got a bad feeling about this, guys. I'm going to go check on him, see if he's all right. Colleen, Shag, with me. The rest of you, stand by. I may need to call for help."

So Hunter, Colleen, and Shag went to Blitz's quarters. Hunter knocked on the door. "Blitz?" he called out. "It's Hunter. Are you all right?" No answer. "Blitz? Are you in there?" Still no answer. Then Hunter heard the sound of a sharp object slashing something. Twice. "Shit!" he swore. He tried opening the door, but it was locked. "Shag, break this door down!" he ordered. Shag obliged him. Hunter entered the room just in time to see Blitz collapse onto the bed with deep lacerations on his arms, beginning at the wrists, that were spurting blood. "Oh, no!" Hunter cried out. He pulled out his communicator. "Exile, contact the Professor and have him come to the sick bay. Blitz just slashed his own wrists!" To Shag, he said, "Do you have a gurney in there? We've got to get Blitz to the sick bay immediately!" Shag did some rummaging and, sure enough, produced a gurney, then carefully picked Blitz up and placed him gently on the gurney, the wounds on Blitz's arms still spurting blood, then wheeled Blitz to the sick bay as Colleen and Hunter put pressure on the wounds in an effort to stop the bleeding. As they went, Hunter fervently prayed that they wouldn't get to the sick bay too late.

 **End of chapter 2**


	3. Depression

THE MUSIC OF OUR LIVES

a Road Rovers fan fiction by Ratchet McCloud

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs or canon characters in this fic.**

Summary: Hunter leaves Rovers HQ by himself to visit his mother on the anniversary of his first visit, and it's not purely a social visit; he wants to ask his mother's advice on certain matters. This will impact the team in a big way... (Pairings: Hunter x Colleen, Blitz x OC, takes place after episode 13 of the series)

 **Chapter 3  
Depression  
**Featured song: "The End of the World"  
Original performer: Skeeter Davis  
From album _Skeeter Davis Sings the End of the World_ (Skeeter Davis, 1962)

 **23 February 1998, 08h05 local time  
Road Rovers HQ  
**Hunter, Colleen, and Shag arrived at the sick bay with Blitz's unconscious and bleeding form. Professor Hubert, a Bloodhound canosapien and the team's resident know-it-all, was waiting there, in full scrubs. "I heard what happened, guys. Let's get him to the table right away." So they carried Blitz to the operating table and laid him down on it. Then the professor got to work stitching Blitz back up while the three Road Rovers waited outside and Exile and Goldie joined them. Two hours later, Hubert emerged. "Is Blitz going to be all right, Professor?" Hunter asked.

"I'm not going to lie to you guys," Hubert told him. "He's in very bad shape; he's lost a lot of blood. Those lacerations were quite deep. Any idea why Blitz would do this to himself?"

"I think Colleen and I might."

Hubert looked Hunter dead in the eye. "Enlighten me," he said.

Hunter sighed. "It started yesterday," he began. "I led Colleen outside so that we could talk in private. While we were there, I proposed to her and she accepted. After that, we spent six hours playing in the snow, then we headed back to share the news with everyone. Not long after that, Blitz bolted to his quarters. I'd never seen him run so fast. I tried to talk with him about it, but he wasn't in the mood to talk. He stayed in his quarters for the rest of the day. And this morning he didn't show up at breakfast. I started to have bad feelings at that point, so I went to Blitz's quarters to check on him, and I brought Shag and Colleen with me. While we were outside the door, I heard the sound of something being slashed, so I had Shag break the door down, and that's when I saw the wounds."

"Did you guys put pressure on the wounds as you were transporting him here?"

"As best we could, Professor," Colleen said.

"I see. Well, Hunter, your quick thinking may have saved Blitz's life, albeit only barely, and that's only if he hasn't completely lost the will to live."

"I know, Professor." That's when Exile came up to them and handed Colleen an audiocassette with 'For Colleen' written on the label. "I found this in weird boy's quarters, Comrade Colleen," he told her. "I think you should be playing this."

"All right, Exile. Shag, do you think you could...?" Shag nodded, did some rummaging, and produced an audiocassette player. Colleen loaded the tape into the player and pushed the 'play' button. Before long, they heard Blitz's voice: "My dearest Colleen, if you are listening to this tape, then I'm no longer among the living. I can't live with the fact that you chose a mutt as your mate over a purebred like me, and so, I have decided to end my life. The spoken word cannot accurately express how I'm feeling right now, so I'll just sing it." Then Blitz's voice broke into song:

 _Why does the sun go on shining?  
Why does the sea rush to shore?  
Don't they know it's the end of the world  
'Cause you don't love me anymore?_

 _Why do the birds go on singing?  
Why do the stars glow above?  
Don't they know it's the end of the world?  
It ended when I lost your love_

 _I wake up in the morning and I wonder  
Why everything's the same as it was  
I can't understand, no, I can't understand  
How life goes on the way it does_

 _Why does my heart go on beating?  
Why do these eyes of mine cry?  
Don't they know it's the end of the world?  
It ended when you said goodbye_

"Why does my heart go on beating?  
Why do these eyes of mine cry?"  
 _Don't they know it's the end of the world?  
It ended when you said... good... bye_

"And now, I say goodbye to you. Farewell, my love. My only hope is that Hunter treats you as well as I know I would have." The next sound on the tape was the sound of Blitz slashing himself, and that's when Colleen stopped the tape. "May I assist with Blitz, Professor?" she asked.

"I don't see why not," the professor said. So Hubert and Colleen went into the sick bay. A few minutes later, Goldie showed up. "Is Blitz all right, son?" she asked Hunter. "I'm afraid not, Mom," Hunter said. "He used his claws to slash his own wrists. Like I said at breakfast, I knew Blitz might take the news of Colleen and me getting married hard, but I never thought he'd turn suicidal over it." Just then, Colleen's panicked voice shouted from the sick bay, "We're losing him, Professor!" "I know, Colleen," the professor shouted back, "but we've been doing all that we can, and nothing's working!"

Goldie's face took on a determined look, and she marched into the sick bay. Ignoring the protests of the professor and Colleen, she knelt down next to the operating table and took Blitz by the hand. Instantly, Blitz's wounds began to close, but the strange thing is that the same wounds appeared on Goldie's body in exactly the same places that they had been on Blitz's. They instantly began to spurt blood as Goldie lost consciousness and collapsed. Also, unlike the earlier bruising she had suffered upon exiting the Transdogrifier, these wounds weren't healing quickly. Colleen and the professor were quick to bandage the wounds up, though. As they did so, Colleen thought, _That was truly a brave and selfless thing to do, Mum._ _I see where Hunter gets his goodness from now_ _._ _Hopefully you don't pay the ultimate price for it._ She couldn't stay in the room any longer, so she excused herself and went to her quarters to try to process what had happened.

 **23 February 1998, 22h30 local time  
Road Rovers HQ  
**Colleen was sleeping fitfully in her quarters. She had spent the entire afternoon not wanting to do anything. Blitz's suicide attempt and the content of his "suicide note" still played on her mind, as did her future mother-in-law's would-be sacrifice, and nothing she did could shake them. And now here she was, trying to get some sleep, but it wasn't coming easily. All of a sudden, she was awoken by a knock on her door. Rising from the bed, she walked over to her door and opened it. It was Professor Hubert. "Hello, Professor," she greeted him. "What's the news?"

"Not here, Colleen. Meet me in the rec room." And he was off. So Colleen headed to the rec room. Her teammates were there already. "What's this all about, guys?" she asked.

"We don't know, Comrade Colleen," Exile said. "All we are knowing is that the Professor woke us and told us to come hereski."

"He didn't tell you guys, either?"

"Nope," Hunter said. Then Shag said something unintelligible, and Hunter replied, "So do I, Shag. It sucks when you don't know anything." After that, the four canosapiens sat in silence. Then, they heard footsteps coming toward them. They turned toward the sound. It was the professor. "Good," he said, "you're all here. I have news on Blitz's and Goldie's conditions."

"Let's have it, then," Hunter said.

"Not one to beat around the bush, huh, Hunter?" He cleared his throat. "About five minutes ago, Blitz regained consciousness. Also, I was able to stop Goldie from bleeding out."

"Are they all right now?" Colleen said.

"Not exactly," the professor replied. "Blitz only remained conscious for about thirty seconds, then he passed out again, and Goldie hasn't regained consciousness yet. I imagine they'll be very weak for a while, and it's going to take their bodies some time to replace all the blood that was lost."

"Can we be visiting them?" Exile asked.

"I'm afraid not, Exile. They're in no condition to receive visitors. You'll get to visit them in the morning, though." He looked at each of them in turn. "Speaking of rest, I think you lot ought to get some yourselves." So the five of them headed back to bed and the professor returned to his charge in the sick bay.

 **End of chapter 3**


	4. Recovery

THE MUSIC OF OUR LIVES

a Road Rovers fan fiction by Ratchet McCloud

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs or canon characters in this fic.**

Summary: Hunter leaves Rovers HQ by himself to visit his mother on the anniversary of his first visit, and it's not purely a social visit; he wants to ask his mother's advice on certain matters. This will impact the team in a big way... (Pairings: Hunter x Colleen, Blitz x OC, takes place after episode 13 of the series)

Note: This chapter introduces this fanfic's OC. Hope you like.

 **Chapter 4  
Recovery  
**Featured song: "Love is on the Way"  
Original performer: Billy Porter  
from the _First Wives Club_ soundtrack album (1996)

 **25 February 1998, 12h00 local time  
** **Road Rovers HQ, USA  
** Blitz slowly opened his eyes. At first, he wasn't sure where he was. Looking around, he saw that he was on an operating table, and there were curtained-off areas nearby. Thinking that he was dead, he had a puzzled look on his face. "Heaven looks like the sick bay at headquarters?" he asked. This got the attention of the other canosapien in the room, who was Professor Hubert. "Not quite, Blitz," he said, "and no, you're not dead. You _did_ drift in and out of consciousness for the last two days, though."

"Why am I still alive?" Blitz pressed. "The last thing I remember was bleeding out on my bed, and then I wake up and I'm here. Why… am… I… not… dead?" Professor Hubert said nothing. He simply moved aside, allowing Blitz to notice Goldie's unconscious form on the next operating table. He saw that Goldie had wounds on her wrists that looked exactly like his self-inflicted wounds. He looked at his own wrists. No wounds. Not even a scar. He was confused. "What happened here?" he asked.

Hubert simply said, "Goldie saved your life."

"I wish she hadn't done that. I was all ready to die, and then she goes and ruins it." Hubert couldn't take it anymore. He struck Blitz across the face. "Geez, Hubert!" Blitz said. "What was that for?"

"Has your selfishness no limit, Blitz?" Hubert laid into him. "I don't know how Goldie did it, but she took your wounds onto her own body, knowing what it would do to her. She was ready to sacrifice _her own life_ so that _you_ could continue living, _you_ _ungrateful_ _fuck_! You are a very bad dog, Blitz, and you don't deserve to be a Road Rover!"

That's when Dr. Shepard entered the room. "That's enough, Hubert. _I_ will decide who deserves to be a Rover and who doesn't." He regarded Blitz with a compassionate eye. "What's wrong, Blitz?"

"Colleen and Hunter are getting married, Master," Blitz said.

"I heard about that. But what about that would drive you to suicide?"

Blitz sighed. After several moments, he said, "She's not marrying _me_."

"Does she know that you have feelings for her?"

" _Ja_. I asked her out many times over the past two years, but not once did she say yes. She'd rather be with a mutt rather than with a purebred like me. I couldn't deal with it, so I tried to end my life."

"I see. I can't pretend to know what it's like to be rejected like that, Blitz, but it doesn't change the fact that you used the gift I gave you for selfish ends, which, by the way, could have caused the death of another Rover. I can't have you doing stuff like that, so this is what's going to happen. Effective immediately, I am putting you on suicide watch and suspending you from the team. Both shall persist until further notice. If you do something this stupid again, you're off the team. Do I make myself clear?"

"Abundantly, Master," Blitz said sullenly.

"Good. I'll be back later in the day to check on you." And with that Shepard left. Over the course of the day some of the Rovers and Shepard himself came to check on Blitz and Goldie, but Blitz didn't really care; he pretended to be asleep when they showed up. Then night fell, and Blitz went to sleep for real.

 **3 March 1998, 10h00 local time  
Road Rovers HQ, USA  
**The last six days had been quite rough for Blitz. He had spent them resting and recovering. And now he was all better physically, but still a mess emotionally. He spent his first few hours awake the same way as he had the last four days: whining and grumbling. Then he heard footsteps outside the curtained-off area he was in. "Blitz?" It was Colleen. "May I come in?"

"Fine, whatever," Blitz answered her. "Do what you want. I don't care." So Colleen entered the area and sat down on a chair next to the cot. "Is everything all right, Blitz?"

Blitz growled. "No," he replied angrily, "everything is _not_ all right! You should be marrying _me_ , not some accursed _mutt_! What the hell do you see in Hunter anyway?"

To her credit, Colleen didn't even get angry. She looked Blitz in the eye. "I'll tell you what I see in Huntie, Blitz," she told him calmly. "I see a lot of myself."

Blitz was confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that Huntie and I have a lot in common. Huntie was born on a ranch in Wyoming. He never knew his father, and his mother was the rancher's dog. His owner tried to care for him and his mother, but he couldn't do it. So he dropped Hunter off at an animal shelter. For several months he lived at the shelter. They tried to adopt him out many times, but each time nobody wanted to adopt him, so after the tenth failed adoption bid they decided to euthanase him. But he was saved from that fate when the Master called him. As for me, I was born in a London townhouse. I never knew me da either, and me mum was owned by a wealthy old man with no living relatives. When I was but a few days old, the old man suddenly snuffed it, and the house was boarded up. For nine months me mum and I had to tough it out on the streets, and she taught me everything she knew. Then me mum got sick and passed on, and from then on I was alone on the streets of London. I would eventually have ended up like me mum, if the Master hadn't called me." She sighed. "So, now you know our stories. Do you see the parallels?"

Blitz slowly nodded. " _Ja_ , I do."

"And do you now know why I rejected your advances?"

Blitz sighed sadly. " _Ja_ ," he said. "It's because Hunter is a better match for you than I am. I congratulate you for finding your soul mate." Then he added wryly, "You have no idea how much that hurt to say."

"You're right; I don't. And somewhere in the world, there's someone who's a better match for you than any other female— _your_ soul mate, as it were. If you keep your eyes and heart open, you'll find that someone, I just know it."

"OK. I will do that. I would also like to ask you for a favor, though."

"Name it."

"Could I kiss you? I just want one kiss, and then I can let go of my feelings for you."

Colleen shrugged. "Sure, why not?" So they leaned toward each other, and their mouths met. After a while, they broke off. After a few seconds of smacking his lips, Blitz said, "I felt no chemistry in that kiss."

"Neither did I," Colleen replied. "I take it that means you're going to be supportive of Huntie and me?"

" _Ja_. I also want you to know that I'm so very sorry for all the pain I put you all through, but especially you and Hunter."

"It's all right, Blitz. I forgive you, and Huntie will as well. It's just not in his nature to hold a grudge."

"Could you also tell Goldie that I'm sorry for all the pain that I put her through?"

"I think you just told her yourself, Blitz." Blitz looked up. Sure enough, Goldie was standing in the curtain space, still sporting the bandages. "I forgive you too, Blitz," she said simply.

"Also, thank you for saving my life," Blitz added.

"You are most welcome."

"I forgive you too, Blitz," Shepard said. He had just arrived. "I see you've found the will to live again. Therefore, I am rescinding your suspension and taking you off suicide watch. Welcome back, Blitz."

" _Danke_ , Master. If it's all right with you, I'd like to take a walk outside."

"Go ahead, Blitz. Some fresh air will be good for you." So Blitz returned to his quarters and got dressed, then he went outside. Upon stepping outside, Blitz took a deep breath, taking in the fresh air. "Feels good to be outside again," he said to no one in particular. And then he started on his walk. As he walked, he thought about his ordeal of the past week and what had brought it about. He also thought about what Colleen had told him just now. _Colleen's right_ , Blitz said to himself. She _may not reciprocat_ _e_ _my feelings, but there's someone out there who will. I don't know where, or when, or even who, but someday that someone will come along._ And he felt inspired to sing:

 _Waking up alone in a room that still reminds me  
My heart has got to learn to forget  
Starting on my own, with every breath I'm getting stronger  
This is not the time for regret  
'Cause I don't need to hang on to heartbreak, oh baby  
When there's so much of life left to live_

 _Love is on the way on wings of angels  
I know it's true, I feel it coming through  
Love is on the way, time is turning the pages  
I don't know when, but love will find me again_

 _I am not afraid of the mystery of tomorrow_

 _I have found the faith deep within  
There's a promise I have made, there's a dream I'm going to follow  
There's another chance to begin  
And it's coming as sure as the heavens, oh yeah  
I can feel it right here in my heart_

 _Love is on the way on wings of angels  
I know it's true, I feel it coming through  
Love is on the way, time is turning the pages  
I don't know when, but love will find me again_

At this point Blitz started hearing voices singing, but he saw no one. _Either I'm_ _hallucinating_ , he thought to himself, _or angels have decided to sing with me. Either way, this is_ _awesome_ _._ So he continued:

 _Oh I know, I know down deep in my heart  
_

 _I know that love, love is on the way on wings of angels  
I know it's true, I feel it coming soon  
Love is on the way, time is turning the pages_

 _I don't know when, but love will find me again_

 _I don't know when, but love will find me... again_

When Blitz finished singing, he was in very high spirits, but soon his loneliness made its way back to the forefront of his mind again, and it wasn't long before he was on the verge of tears. Calming himself down, he saw that his walk had already taken him quite far from Road Rovers headquarters. But he didn't feel like he had walked far enough, so he continued on his way. He came to a bridge over a river and was about to cross it when he noticed a dark shape near the water's edge that didn't look like it belonged there. Getting closer for a better look, he saw that it was a dog—a female Goldador with black fur, to be precise—that was badly injured and unconscious. Almost in passing, he also noticed that she had a ring of gold-colored fur on the top of her head. Now, Blitz didn't have much medical training, but he had enough to know how to administer first aid, so after doing that, he carried the dog up to the side of the road and took out his communicator. "This is Blitz to HQ," he said into the communicator. "I found an injured canine by the river east of HQ. Female Labrador mix. Request transport, over."

"Roger that, Blitz," Hunter's voice replied. "Be advised, help is on the way. Just sit tight, over."

"Ten-four." And he turned off the communicator. A few minutes later, he saw the Street Rover (the team's armored car) approaching, and he flagged it down. It stopped just short of the bridge, and Hunter got out. "What's the story, Blitz?"

"I found her down near the water's edge. She's badly hurt, and she'll die if we don't get her some medical help _pronto_."

Hunter considered Blitz's words. "All right," he finally said, "let's get this dog to the professor." He sniffed the air, then paused suddenly. "What's the matter?" Blitz asked him.

"There's something familiar about this dog's scent," Hunter replied. "I can't quite put my paw on it, but it feels like I've met this dog before..." Then Hunter fell silent for a few seconds. "But I can't for the life of me remember where, or when. Anyway, we should probably get her back to headquarters." So Blitz entered the rear of the vehicle carrying the dog, and soon they were on their way back to Road Rovers headquarters. During the trip, Blitz spoke up. "Hunter?"

"What's up, Blitz?"

"There's something that I need to tell you." Blitz took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What for?"

"Well, I've been a real jerk to you this past year. I insulted you for being a mutt and I was jealous that the Master chose you to be the team's leader. Also, I knew that you had feelings for Colleen and tried to win her heart anyway, when she obviously only had eyes for you. This was only because I didn't understand the bond that you two share, and now I do understand. Plus, I tried to commit suicide, which made you and everyone else worry. Your mother saved my life and almost lost her own in the process. Had she died, that would have made me no better than a murderer. Knowing what I know now, I realize how much of a total _S_ _ch_ _eizkopf_ I've been, and I don't want to be one anymore. Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?"

Hunter smiled at him. "Blitz, buddy, I already have."

"Really? Thank you so much. You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that."

"You are most welcome. However, this is quite unlike you. May I ask what brought this on?"

"Colleen visited me earlier this morning. She told me about her life as a pup, and about yours too. She explained that the similarity between your respective upbringings was the reason for the bond you guys share. And then she assured me that someday the right girl for me would come along."

"She's right, you know. Keep your eyes and heart open, and you'll find that special someone."

"Speaking of which, have you and Colleen set a date yet?"

"We have. We thought that the twentieth would be just awesome."

"First day of spring. Nice."

"I thought so. Also, I want to ask you if you would like to be my best man."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Hunter, after everything that's happened?"

"Like I said, Blitz, I forgave all that a long time ago. So, are you interested in being my best man?"

Blitz took a few moments to gather his thoughts, then spoke. "You know, Hunter, if you'd asked me that two weeks ago, I probably would have declined. But the events of the past week have given me a new perspective on things. So, I would be honored to be your best man."

"Sweet! Thanks, Blitz!"

"There's something else, Hunter."

"What is it?"

"I also never thanked you for rescuing me from that volcano. So, from the bottom of my heart, _danke schön_."

"No need to thank me, Blitz. After all, that's what friends and teammates are for." At that point Hunter saw that their headquarters was right in front of them. "Looks like we're here. Remember, if at any time you feel like talking to someone, my door's always open."

"Thank you, and I will remember that." So they got out of the Street Rover and went inside, and Blitz proceeded immediately to the sick bay with the dog in his arms. When he got there, Professor Hubert was waiting, again dressed appropriately for performing surgery. "Hunter told me that you'd found an injured dog. Is that it?" he said.

" _Ja_ , _Herr_ Professor," Blitz confirmed.

The professor examined the dog. "Well, it looks like she's already received first aid. That was good thinking, Blitz; she'd have died out there otherwise. Still, she doesn't look so good. I'd better get started right away." So he and Blitz entered the operating area and Blitz laid the dog on the operating table, then the professor got to work as Blitz waited outside. It was three hours before the professor emerged. "Well, _that_ was a real piece of work," he commented.

"How so?" Blitz asked him.

"Well, she had three broken ribs, a broken leg, a punctured lung, and a fractured collarbone, but thanks to you she'll live. However, she _will_ be in sick bay for several days as she recovers. What I want to know is just what the hell happened to her to put her in that condition."

"I found her on a riverbank beneath a bridge, so judging from that I'd say that someone threw her off the bridge. I'm not positive about that, though."

"I guess we'll just have to wait until she wakes up so that we can ask her what happened."

"So it would seem, Professor."

"Well, I need to get back in there to finish up, so, we'll talk later?"

"Sure thing." With that, the professor went back into the operating room. Blitz decided at that point that he needed to apologize to the rest of the team, so he gathered his teammates in the rec room and did just that. And of course, being the good dogs that they are, they all forgave him. After that, he returned to his quarters to get some rest. When he got there, he noticed that all the blood stains from eight days ago were all gone; apparently someone had cleaned up. Lying on the bed, he sighed happily. _Feels good to be back in my own bed again_ , he thought to himself. _That_ _cot_ _was quite uncomfortable_. It didn't take very long for him to fall asleep after that, but before he did he sang this in a voice barely louder than a whisper:

 _I don't know when, but love will find me again_

Some time later, he was awakened by a male voice over the PA system: "Blitz, report to my office at once." It was Dr. Shepard. _Wonder what he wants,_ he thought to himself. _Well, I'd better go find out_. Entering Shepard's office and closing the door, he saw that the doctor was seated at the chair behind the desk. "You wanted to see me, Master?" he asked the doctor.

"Yes, Blitz," Shepard replied. "Have a seat, please." So Blitz sat down on the chair in front of the desk. "I heard you found an injured dog while you were out on a walk," the doctor said to him.

"That's correct, Master," Blitz replied.

"Why didn't you take her to an animal hospital, or at least an animal shelter?"

"They're all too far away, Master. If I'd taken her to a place like those, she probably would have died _en route_. However, here's closer than any of those places to where I'd found her."

"It was that serious?"

"I'm afraid it was, Master."

"I see." Shepard paused to think. "Was she wearing a collar or anything else that suggests that she has an owner?"

"I don't know, Master. I was so focused on getting help for her that I didn't notice anything else."

"What about an RFID chip?" (A/N: Yes, RFID chips were a thing in 1998; that tech as a means of identifying pets was known at least as far back as 1976, judging from some of the laws that date back to that year.)

"We didn't check for that. I'll ask the Professor to check for that the next time I talk to him. However, there's something else that I think you ought to know."

"You're referring to her scent being somewhat familiar to Hunter, right?"

"Yes, but how did you know about that?"

"That's why _I'm_ the Master, Blitz." Blitz stared at Shepard incredulously, to which Shepard replied with, "Don't look at me like that; after all, a man needs to have _some_ secrets."

"Whatever you say, Master," Blitz replied meekly.

"Anyway, it looks like I have some thinking to do about this. When I decide something, I'll be sure to let you know right away."

"Yes, Master."

"That will be all for now, Blitz." And with that Shepard turned his chair around so that its back was toward the desk. So Blitz left the aged scientist's office and returned to his quarters to get some more rest. He was awakened again about three hours later by a knock on his door. Grumbling about not being able to get a decent amount of rest, he walked over to the door and opened it. It was the professor. "Yes?" Blitz said.

"I came by to tell you that the dog you rescued just came to. She freaked out initially, but I was able to calm her down. However, when I attempted to get her story behind the injuries she'd suffered, she refused to answer; she'll talk only to the one who rescued her."

"All right. Let's go, then. When we get there, Professor, be sure to check her for a microchip."

"OK, Blitz." And with that Blitz and the professor headed back to the sick bay, where, sure enough, the dog was awake. Blitz also noticed that she was all bandaged up and was wearing a neck cone. When she saw Blitz, her tail began to wag and she attempted to rise to her haunches, but the Professor quickly restrained her, covertly checking for a microchip as he was doing so. "Not yet, sweetheart," he told her. "Your injuries haven't healed yet. Give it time." Then he turned to Blitz and nodded, an indication that he'd found a microchip. Blitz only nodded in response.

The dog lay back down. {Killjoy,} she growled.

"Yeah, he can be like that sometimes," Blitz said. He pulled a chair up to the operating table and sat down. "How are you feeling?"

{Like I just got hit by a truck,} she answered. {Are you the one who rescued me?}

"Yep, that's me," Blitz admitted. "Anyway, I've got some questions for you. But first, some introductions. My name is Blitz. The dorky-looking Bloodhound in the glasses and lab coat—"

"Hey!" the professor protested.

Blitz ignored him. "—his name's Professor Hubert. What's yours?"

{Angel,} the dog replied.

"Pleased to meet you, Angel. Let me guess, you were named that because that ring of yellow fur on the top of your head reminded someone of an angel's halo?"

{Maybe. I've never seen the top of my own head.}

"Anyway, now for the questions. Do you know what day it is?"

{I do. It's Tuesday, third day of March, nineteen ninety-eight.}

"That's right."

{What was the point of that question?}

"An incorrect answer would have indicated memory loss. Anyway, do you know how you got hurt?"

She whimpered. {I do indeed. This morning, my master took me on a drive in his pickup truck, as he'd done several times in the past. It's something we'd both enjoyed.}

"Not a bad start. Continue."

{But this time, when we came to the bridge over the river, he stopped the truck right on the bridge, which confused me, because he'd never done that before. He got out of the truck, opened the tailgate, lifted me out of the bed, and walked over to the railing. Before I knew what was happening, I was flying through the air.}

"In other words, he threw you off the bridge," Blitz summarized with a scowl. _That human had better hope he never crosses paths with_ me, he thought darkly, _because I'll rip him apart if he does_.

{Correct,} Angel said. {Anyway, I landed on a huge rock in the middle of the river. Hard. I felt several bones break on impact, but I tried to get back to the truck. I managed to get to the riverbank, but he drove away, and the pain was too great for me to go any further anyway, so I just lay down and the next thing I remember is waking up here.} Her whimpering intensified. {What did I do to deserve getting thrown off a bridge? I was a good dog!}

"No dog deserves that, dear one," Blitz told her. "Some people are just scumbags like that."

{And to make matters worse, I never even saw it coming,} Angel confessed. {He had always been so nice to me.}

"Do you have any desire to return to him?" Blitz asked seriously.

Angel growled. {Hell no!} she swore with an angry bark. {He's made it clear that he doesn't want me anymore, and he'd probably try to kill me again even if I were to go back. Oh, and by the way, I want that microchip removed.}

"We'll see what we can do about that."

{I guess that's a better answer than a hard 'no'.}

"How would you like to stay here for a while?"

{What do you mean by 'a while'?}

"Until your injuries heal."

{And then what are you going to do once that happens?}

"Well, usually, when a human finds a stray dog or cat, they turn it in to an animal shelter. We'll probably end up doing that. But we don't need to worry about that right now. Let's cross that bridge when we come to it."

Angel started whimpering again. {Please, don't say the word 'bridge' to me ever again.}

"It's just an expression, Angel. It means, 'Let's not worry about the future.' So, how about it?"

Without hesitation, Angel yipped, {Sure. I have nowhere else to go, and besides, you're quite handsome; I wouldn't mind seeing your face every day, even if it's only for a few days.} Her face broke into the canine version of a smile as she winked at Blitz.

"Easy there, girl," the professor chided her. "Let's not stoke his ego too much now. It might explode."

"Hey!" Blitz protested.

"Serves you right for describing me as 'dorky-looking'," the professor retorted. To Angel, he said, "Anyway, you should try to get some rest now. You've had a rough day."

{I suppose you're right,} Angel said. She laid her head on her forelegs and closed her eyes. Before long she was asleep. Blitz reached over and, ever so gently, stroked her fur—or at least the fur that hadn't been shaved off—a few times. "Pleasant dreams, Angel," he said simply. He turned to the professor. "If it's all right with you, I would like to stay here to keep watch while she sleeps." Seeing the disapproving look on the professor's face, he further explained: "She might have a nightmare, and I'd like to be here to comfort her should that happen."

"And what makes you think that _I_ couldn't do that?" The professor sounded offended, and Blitz could hardly blame him.

"You probably could, Professor, but she's more likely to accept it from me."

"Well, come to think of it, she _did_ seem to be more at ease in your presence." The professor sighed. "Very well. I'll allow you to stay with her, but you had better not get in the way of my work, or there'll be _hell_ to pay."

"You have my word, Professor."

"Good. You can get a jump start on that promise by moving her to one of the cots." So Blitz did as he was told. Blitz spent several hours by Angel's bedside—even going so far as eating his meals there—and then he, too, fell asleep.

 **4 March 1998, 08h00  
Road Rovers HQ, USA  
**Blitz awoke to feeling something wet on his hand. Looking down, he saw that not only was Angel awake, she was licking his hand. Blitz smiled at the sight. _I could get used to this_ , he thought happily, then went back to sleep. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his hand. He let out a loud curse and his eyes snapped open. When he did, he saw bite marks on his hand and Angel looking up at him, growling. {That wasn't a very nice word, mister,} she said.

"Well, duh!" Blitz fired back. "You bit me!"

{Because you were fixing to go back to sleep when breakfast is being served right now,} Angel informed him. {No way am I going to allow that! Now get up and go have breakfast!}

"Can't you give me a break or something? I _did_ rescue you, you know."

{And I'm eternally grateful, but go back to sleep right now and you'll miss breakfast.}

"All right, if you insist. Are you going to be all right by yourself for a while?"

{I'll be fine, hero. Now, go have breakfast.}

"All right. I'm going now." He got up. "Do you want me to bring you back something?"

{Sure. A couple links of sausage if they have sausage.}

"Couple links of sausage. Got it." Then he left. Before he went to the mess hall, though, he cleaned and dressed the bite wound on his hand. Then he went to the mess hall. Sure enough, his teammates were all there, sitting at the table with their respective meals in front of them. Serving himself, he sat down at the table. Hunter was the first to notice Blitz's presence. "Morning, Blitz," he greeted him. "How's she doing?"

"She?" Blitz asked him, momentarily confused. Then he realized what Hunter was asking and said, "Never mind, Hunter. I know what you're asking now. She's doing better."

"I see. How do you know this?"

"I don't, but she felt well enough to bite my hand just a few minutes ago."

"Oh, so that explains why your hand's wrapped in bandages. What did you do to her, Blitz?"

"Nothing. First she started licking my hand until I woke up, and when I tried to go back to sleep she bit me."

"Seems like she doesn't want you to sleep in."

"You think, Captain Obvious?"

"She did it only 'cause she cares."

" _Ja_ , I know."

By this time, Blitz and Hunter's conversation had attracted Colleen's attention. "What are you and Blitz talking about, Huntie?" she queried. So Blitz filled Colleen in about Angel. When they finished, she said, "So, our Blitzy has become a hero."

Blitz blinked, confused. "But have I not already been one, and for more than a year," he asked, "same as everyone on this team?"

"I know that, Blitz," Colleen reassured him, slugging him playfully on the shoulder. "I'm just messin' with ya."

Blitz couldn't help but chuckle. "You got me good, Colleen. Well played." Then Blitz noticed that Hunter was staring at him. Blitz waved his hand in front of Hunter's face, but got no response. "Hello?" Blitz said to him as he continued to wave his hand in front of Hunter's face. "Earth to Hunter. Are you there?"

"You... you said h-her name was... Angel?" Hunter choked out. This got Goldie's attention. "Angel?" she asked. "She's here?"

"Yes, she's here, but why is that name so important to you two?"

"No time to explain, Blitz," Goldie answered him excitedly. To Hunter, she said, "We need to check this out immediately!" And with that Hunter and Goldie made a beeline for the sick bay, while the others just shot confused looks at each other.

 **End of chapter 4**


	5. Reunion

THE MUSIC OF OUR LIVES

a Road Rovers fan fiction by Ratchet McCloud

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs or canon characters in this fic.**

Summary: Hunter leaves Rovers HQ by himself to visit his mother on the anniversary of his first visit, and it's not purely a social visit; he wants to ask his mother's advice on certain matters. This will impact the team in a big way... (Pairings: Hunter x Colleen, Blitz x OC, takes place after episode 13 of the series)

 **Chapter 5  
Reunion  
**Featured song: "Because You Loved Me"  
Author: Diane Warren  
Original performer: Céline Dion  
From album _Falling Into You_ (1996)

 **4 March 1998, 08h15 local time  
Road Rovers HQ, USA  
**When Hunter and Goldie got to the sick bay, Professor Hubert was still cleaning up. "The injured dog we brought back yesterday, where is she?" Hunter demanded.

"She's on one of the cots in the back, Hunter, but what's got you so excited?"

"We'll tell you later," Goldie assured him. The two walked to the cot the professor indicated, and there was Angel, fast asleep. When Angel caught their scent, her head shot up and her eyes opened, and she looked directly at them. {Your scents are familiar to me,} she barked. {You guys smell like my mother and my littermate. But I need to make sure. Would you please come closer so that I could get a better sniff?} So Hunter approached the cot and let Angel sniff him. When she did, the canine version of a smile came onto her face. {Big brother!} she barked happily, then she started to lick Hunter's face. {I thought I'd never see you again!}

"The feeling's mutual, sis," Hunter replied, and then he embraced her gently. Then he looked back at Goldie, who hadn't approached the cot. There were standing tears in her eyes. "What's wrong, Mom?" Hunter asked her. "Please excuse me, Hunter," she replied. "I can't do this." Then she fled the room, tears falling freely from her eyes. Angel cocked her head in confusion. {What's wrong with Mama, Hunter?} she asked her brother. {Why did she just run away like that?}

"I don't know, Angel," Hunter told her, "but I mean to find out." So Hunter stood back up and passed under the curtain separating Angel's cot from the rest of the sick bay. He turned back to Angel. "I'm glad that you're here, Angel," he told her. {And I'm glad to be here, Hunter,} Angel replied. Then Hunter left.

It wasn't long before Hunter reached Goldie's quarters. Testing the door, he found that it wasn't locked, but, remembering his manners, he knocked on the door. "Mom?" he said. "It's Hunter. May I come in?"

"Yes, son," came the reply, "you may." So Hunter entered the room and closed the door behind him. He saw that Goldie was sitting on the edge of the bed, so he sat down next to her. "What's the matter, Mom?" he asked her. "I've never seen anyone leave a room so quickly and so filled with sadness. Aren't you happy to see Angel again after all these years?"

"Of course I am, Hunter," Goldie said, "but seeing her also reminded me of your father—all the happy times we spent together, that magical night when you and Angel were conceived, then the day my master scared him away, and finally all the pain and sadness I'd been filled with from that day until you came back into my life. That's why I started crying and why I left so suddenly."

"How does she remind you of Dad, Mom?"

"She looks exactly like him, except that her fur is slightly longer and she has that halo mark."

"So, my dad had black fur," Hunter mused. Then he asked his mother, "You still miss him, don't you?"

"You bet I do," Goldie told her son. "He was—is—the best thing that ever happened to me. When my master scared him off, it was like I lost part of myself. You see, Hunter, we dogs mate for life. When we mate, we become one, both heart and soul. Very rarely does a mated dog recover from losing their mate." Feeling a fresh pang of grief, she sniffled, and the tears began falling anew. "Oh, what I'd give to see him again!" she exclaimed, and she buried her face in her hands. Hunter didn't say a word. Of course, there _were_ no words that he could say that would have any effect on his mother's grief, except perhaps to worsen it. So he simply put his arm around her shoulders. When Goldie felt this, she clung to her son, still sobbing, and for several minutes neither of them moved. Finally, Goldie's crying spell subsided. Hunter said, "I'm going to go back down there, Mom. Do you want to join me?"

Goldie shook her head. "No, son," she said. "I think I'd like to be alone for a while."

"Are you going to be all right by yourself, Mom?" Hunter asked.

"Yes, I am," she replied. "I just need some time to sort some things out."

"All right, Mom." So Hunter went back to the sick bay. Angel was still there. {Did you find out what happened, Hunter?} she asked him. Hunter nodded, then he proceeded to fill Angel in on what Goldie had told him. When he finished, Angel said, {So Mama doesn't hate me after all.}

"No mother dog could ever hate her own pup, Angel," Hunter reminded her. "She just needs some time to get over her grief." Then, to pass the time, Hunter filled Angel in on the last two years of his life and also told her about his teammates and described Road Rovers HQ in detail. After about an hour, Goldie returned, and she came right up to Angel's cot so that she could get a good sniff. After sniffing her, Angel immediately started licking Goldie's face, just as she had licked Hunter's. {I'm so happy so see you again, Mama!} she barked.

"Same here, my daughter," Goldie reciprocated. "I'm so sorry for running away like I did. Forgive me?"

{Of course I do, Mama. Hunter explained it to me. I do wish that there were something we could do for you, though.}

"But, I'm confused about something: How come you're wearing bandages and a neck cone?" So Angel filled her mother in on what had happened to her over the past two years, including how she came by her current injuries. When Angel finished her account, Goldie was furious. "Why, that monster!" she growled, referring to Angel's ex-owner. "How _dare_ he hurt my little girl! When I find out who and where he is, he! Will! PAY!"

"Whoa, Mom!" Hunter said in a mollifying tone. "Take it easy!"

"Forget easy, Hunter!" Goldie shot back. "That lowlife almost killed my baby girl, your sister! He must suffer for what he did!"

"And someday he will. But if we harm him, we will become just like him. So please, just let it go."

It took a few seconds, but Goldie's expression eventually softened. "Very well, Hunter," she said. "I can see why Colleen loves you; you have the purest heart out of all the dogs I've ever known."

"Aw, shucks, Mom," Hunter said, suddenly embarrassed. About that time, the rest of the team arrived in the sick bay. "We were hearing shouts of rage-ski, Comrade Hunter," Exile said. "Is everything being all left?"

"That's 'all right', Exile, and yes, everything's fine. I have it under control."

"Maybe now you can explain why you were acting so weird at breakfast, Hunter," Blitz said.

"All right. But before I do, some intros are in order." Talking to Angel, he said, "Angel, these are my teammates." Gesturing to each as he introduced him or her, he continued: "The one next to me is my fiancée Colleen. She's our medic and martial-arts specialist. Her super power is super reflexes. You've already met Blitz; he's our weapons expert. His super power is having extra-sharp claws. Next to him is Exile, our mechanic. He can burn or freeze things with his gaze. And last but not least, this is Shag, our cook and heavy weapons specialist. Shag's fur hides a non-dimensional space. Lots of stuff is stored in there, and most of it shouldn't fit, but somehow it does."

{Pleasure to meet you all,} Angel said. The team reciprocated. Then Hunter spoke to the team: "This is Angel. She is my sister, but I haven't seen her since we were pups."

"How did you guys get separated?" Exile asked.

"I can tell that story," Goldie said. "It all started about two-and-a-half years ago, when I fell in love with a stray black Labrador. I never knew his name, or if he even had one. But that didn't matter; he was handsome, loyal, and almost as pure-hearted as Hunter is. The times we shared together were the happiest times of my life.

"Unfortunately, it wasn't to last. My master happened upon us mating one day and chased him off. I never saw him again. Soon after that I gave birth to a litter of three pups—Hunter was my firstborn, followed by Angel, and then a brown-furred female pup that was stillborn. At first my master tried to care for all three of us, but as the pups grew it became too much for him, what with all the other animals he also needed to take care of, so he took the pups into town and came back alone. And that was the last I saw of either of them until last year."

This is where Hunter picked up the story. "Angel and I were dropped off at an animal shelter. Angel was adopted out just days after our arrival, but I had no such good fortune. The days turned into weeks, which turned into months. After three months it became apparent that no one was going to adopt me, so I escaped and tried to make it back to Mom, but I was captured and taken back to the shelter. A few more days passed and my time was running short. Finally, the day where I was scheduled to be destroyed came. I was rounded up, along with an insane Rottweiler whom I had befriended during my time there—" At this point, elsewhere in the compound, Scout sneezed. "—and we were being led to the back room when I heard the Master's voice saying that he had chosen me. The next thing I knew, I was here, and so was the Rottweiler."

{As for me,} Angel said, {the man who adopted me seemed to be a good man. We would play and watch the _Star Wars_ films together, and he would often take me for a ride in his pickup truck. Then one day, during a seemingly routine truck ride, he stopped his truck on a bridge over a river, picked me up, carried me to the railing, and just threw me off the bridge. I landed on a huge rock in the middle of the river so hard that several bones broke. I managed to make it to the riverbank and tried to make it back to the truck, but the man had already driven off. I managed a few more steps before the pain made me pass out. I would have died there, but the one you call Blitz rescued me. It's thanks to him that I got to see my family again.} She turned her head to look directly at Blitz. {You're my hero, Blitz,} she told him.

Blitz turned beet-red. "Stop it, Angel," he said. "You're embarassing me." Everybody had a good laugh at that. Suddenly, a male voice said, "You have nothing to be embarassed about, Blitz." It was Dr. Shepard. He had just arrived in the sick bay. Presently he walked right up to Blitz. "True, you happened to be in the right place at the right time, but it's more than that. You went above and beyond the call of duty to rescue someone who needed help. Know that I am very proud of you, Blitz. You're a good, good dog."

Blitz was overcome with emotion, and he embraced Shepard. " _Danke_ , Master," he whispered with tears forming in his eyes.

Shepard gave Blitz a few awkward pats on the back, then they parted. "You are most welcome, Blitz. By the way, I've come down here to tell you that I've come to a decision regarding Angel."

"Oh? What have you decided, Master?"

"In the light of recent revelations it would be unwise to separate her from her family after she just got them back. Therefore, I would like to offer her a spot on the team."

{Me?} Angel asked. {A Road Rover?}

"Yes, Angel," Shepard answered her.

{But I'm just an ordinary dog. What can I do?}

"You forget that everyone you see here was an ordinary dog before I chose them. You see, I have a special machine called the Transdogrifier. It changes ordinary dogs into anthropomorphic ones and gives them a super power. I've coined the term 'Cano-Sapien' to describe the transformation. So far, it's never given the same super power twice. So, how about it?"

{I have just one question: Does the transformation hurt?}

"Not really," Hunter said. "The change in perspective is a little jarring, but there's no pain or even discomfort." The other members of the team nodded in agreement to what Hunter just said.

{I see.} Looking at Shepard, she said, {I accept, Master.}

"Splendid. Would you like to be Transdogrified now, or do you want to wait?"

{Let's do it,} Angel replied. So Blitz picked her up and carried her into the room with the Transdogrifier machines. Opening the door to his own unit, he placed her inside and closed the door. There was a flash of light, and when the door opened, Angel was standing on two legs and wearing the standard Road Rover armor. Also, her neck cone and bandanges were on the floor of the machine in tatters. Blitz noticed that Angel's legs were starting to tremble, so he placed himself directly in front of her so that she would fall into him instead of falling over. And that's exactly what happened. As their bodies collided, Blitz moved his arms up to catch Angel. "Oh," she said. "Thanks for that. This is going to take some getting used to."

"I can imagine," Blitz replied. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm a little dizzy and I have a bit of a headache, but apart from that, I feel fine." She paused. "No, check that. I feel better than fine. My leg doesn't hurt anymore, and neither do my ribs or collarbone. Did that machine just heal my injuries?"

"It would appear so, Angel. Do you want to head back now?"

"Not right now. I want to be able to walk well enough to not require a crutch before I go anywhere."

"Fair enough." And so, leaning on Blitz for support, Angel practiced walking for a few minutes. When her legs finally stopped trembling, Angel said, "All right, Blitz, I think I'm ready to head back now." So they returned to the sick bay, where everyone was waiting for them. When they entered the room, Angel suddenly cried out, and collapsed to the floor clutching her head with both hands. Everyone saw this, and they rushed over to her. "Sis!" Hunter said. "Are you all right?" Angel didn't answer. She was too busy screaming bloody murder and thrashing around on the floor. The screaming eventually stopped, but the convulsions continued, and blood started leaking out of her nose and ears. After a few moments, she went completely still. "Ohmygosh!" Hunter cried. "Angel! Speak to me!" No response. "Master!" he said. "Is she...?"

"Let me find out," Shepard said. He closed his eyes and didn't move a muscle for several seconds. When he opened his eyes again, he said, "Peace, everyone; she's not dead. She simply experienced something called psychic overload. It would appear that the newest Road Rover has the power of telepathy."

"You mean she can hear our thoughts?" Blitz asked.

"Yes, Blitz, although 'hear' isn't exactly the right word."

"Is that why she suddenly collapsed when she got back here?" Goldie asked.

"Kind of. Blitz, did she mention having a slight headache in the Transdogrifier room?"

" _Ja_ , Master. As a matter of fact, she did."

"That was no ordinary headache. She was reacting to your psychic energy. It was only a slight headache because you were the only one around her. When she got back here, though, the combined psychic energy from all of us overwhelmed her; that would explain the seizure she just had. With the proper training, though, the seizures will drop off entirely, and she'll be able to do amazing things with this newfound power."

"You seem to know a lot about this, Master," Hunter said.

"That's because I went through the same shitstorm when I was younger." Everyone went slack-jawed at that revelation. "It's true, Rovers," Shepard confessed. "I'm a telepath."

" _That_ explains how you knew about Hunter and Angel before I told you!" Blitz exclaimed.

"And how you knew about my feelings for Colleen!" Hunter chimed in.

"You picked the info directly out of our minds!" they added in unison.

"That's right, guys, although in your case, Hunter, to be fair, anyone who had been paying attention could have picked up on that. You didn't exactly keep your affection for Colleen a secret." Hunter and Colleen both blushed as Shepard cleared his throat. "Anyway, Angel's going to be all right. A few days of rest in a quiet place, and she'll be right as rain. That's when her training shall begin. For now, though, will someone please move her to one of the cots?" Blitz was the one to oblige him, and after he returned, Shepard spoke again. "All right, team, listen up. This is a direct order from your Master. No one except for Professor Hubert is to enter the sick bay for any reason while Angel is recuperating. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master," they chorused.

"Good. You are all dismissed." And with that, the team went back to their usual activities.

 **11 March 1998, 12h00 local time  
Road Rovers HQ, USA  
**Angel's eyelids slowly cracked open. _Where am I?_ was her first thought. She looked around. _Great,_ she thought sarcastically, _I'm back_ _o_ _n this stupid cot again._ She picked up the remote attached to the cot and pressed a button on it. After a few moments, Professor Hubert entered the tent. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Sleeping Beauty," he snarked.

"Ever the charmer, Professor," Angel snarked back. "How long was I out this time?"

"You were in a coma for seven days," the professor replied. "You had a fairly severe seizure, and that's what put you in the coma."

"Did it have anything to do with the severe headache I'd had right before I faded to black?"

"Yes, but I'll leave the full explanation to the Master when he arrives down here."

"Does he know that I'm awake now?"

"He does. When you rang me, I notified the Master that you're awake. He should be here in about a minute. In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Actually, can you rustle me up some grub? I'm starving."

"Sure thing, Angel." He picked up his communicator. "Shag, come in." He soon heard Shag's unintelligible voice. "Listen, Shag, you're serving lunch now, am I right?" Another unintelligible response. "Good. Could you prepare some food for Angel? She just woke up from a week-long nap and she's very hungry." Another unintelligible response. "Thanks a bunch, Shag. I'll leave you to it." Then he put the communicator down. Before long, Shepard entered the tent. "Good afternoon, Angel," he said.

"Hello, Master," Angel replied respectfully.

"How are you feeling right now?"

"I'm feeling very weak, and I'm so hungry that I could eat an entire herd of horses. Shag's whipping something up for me, though, so I expect that the hunger shall soon pass."

"That's good. When you're done eating, wait one hour, then meet me in the gym."

"In the gym? What for?"

"Do you remember what happened right before you lost consciousness?"

"Not really, but the professor told me that I'd had a severe seizure."

"That's right, you had. Well, it seems that that seizure has something to do with the super power the Transdogrifier gave you."

"How could a seizure have anything to do with any super power?"

 _It has a lot to do with it, Angel,_ Shepard's voice sounded in her mind _, if that power is telepathy. Since I also have this power, I can teach you how to control and harness it, if you'll let me. You must understand, this power is easily the strongest power the Transdogrifier has bestowed thus far—even Exile's eye beams and your mother's rapid healing pale in comparison._

 _How can hearing someone's thoughts or talking with your mind be more powerful than frying someone with a simple gaze or having a body that heals itself super fast?_ Angel's confused mind asked.

 _You've figured out mental communication,_ Shepard's mind said. _Well done. That's not the be-all-end-all of telepathy, though. I don't blame you for thinking that; after all, that's a common misconception that those without this power have, for only those who have this power can truly understand it. Actually, an experienced telepath can do much more with the power._

 _Such as?_

 _Well, they can manipulate objects without touching them—this is called telekinesis. Or they can implant suggestions into others' minds. Or—and this is the most dangerous application of the power, both to the user and the victim—they can use it to attack others' minds directly. But, they can also use the power to defend themselves against attacks, both physical and mental. That's why attacking someone mentally is so dangerous; doing this leaves you wide open to a counter-attack from another telepath, should one be around._

 _So what you're saying is that we're kind of like Jedi, except Jedi also use lightsabers._

 _I suppose you could look at it that way, Angel. However, since this power is so strong, it's also very difficult to control. Going back to that seizure you had, it happened because you were exposed to a lot of psychic energy all at once without knowing how to deal with the strain. That's why learning to control this power is so important. If you don't, you will continue to suffer debilitating seizures and the mental strain from everyone's thoughts pressing in on you will one day quite literally drive you insane—unless, of course, you shut yourself off from all contact with any other sentient being. I know all this because I've experienced it first-hand, having had literally no one who could teach me and having to figure everything out by myself. Well, except for the insanity, though I came dreadfully close to that. In that regard, you are more fortunate than I was, for you_ do _have someone who can teach you—namely me. So, what is your decision?_

 _So, behind door number one is learning to control my new Jedi powers. Behind door number two, becoming a hermit, although Obi-Wan Kenobi was that anyway. And behind door number three, the loony bin. I choose door number one, Monty. I would be honored to have you teach me._

Shepard switched back to using his voice. "Very good, Angel. See you in the gym." And with that, Shepard left, and soon after that, Shag showed up with a large platter with an extensive assortment of meats piled on it. Setting the platter on the small table in the tent, Shag said something unintelligible. "Thank you, Shag," Angel replied. Another unintelligible utterance from Shag, and then Shag left. Then the professor went back to whatever he had been doing, and that left Angel alone with the combo platter of meat. Within a minute, the platter was empty, and Angel lay back on the cot with a satisfied sigh. Then she got dressed and went to the rec room. Hunter was in there by himself, sitting on the sofa looking through a catalog. He became aware of Angel's presence when she sat down next to him. "Hey, sis," he greeted her. "I take it you're all better now?"

"Mostly," Angel replied, "but I'm still a little weak from being in a coma for seven days. So, whatcha doing?"

Hunter held up the catalog. "I'm looking through these tuxedo designs and trying to decide which one I like the best."

"Tuxedo designs? Why would you be look—never mind, I just remembered that you introduced Colleen as your fiancée, which means you're getting married soon, and that's why you're looking at tuxes. Congrats on that, by the way."

"Thanks, sis. Have you gotten to meet Colleen yet?"

"Not really. She seems nice, though, and she's quite beautiful. So, how did you guys meet?"

"Remember the story I told about how I left the animal shelter?"

"Yeah. You said that you heard the Master say that he had chosen you, and the next thing you knew, you were here."

"That's right. Well, he had chosen the other guys that same day, and that's when I saw Colleen for the first time. I'm not sure it was love at first sight, but I do remember thinking that she was smokin' hot. Over time, though, I've gotten to know her better, what with us being teammates and all, and the spark grew into a flame. And then, a couple of weeks ago, I'd gone to visit Mom to celebrate the one-year anniversary of our reunion. I told Mom how special Colleen was to me and Mom said I should tell Colleen. So on the way back home we stopped at a jewelry store and I bought an engagement ring, and then we completed the trip back."

"Didn't you skip ahead in your story, Hunter?"

"Not really. What makes you say that?"

"You left out your first date."

"First date?"

"Well, yeah. You were going to propose, so you guys must have dated, right?"

"Actually, no. The proposal was completely spontaneous. I guess you could say that when I proposed to her, that _was_ our first date."

Angel stared at her brother. "You bought an engagement ring for someone you hadn't even _dated_ yet? Hunter, are you _crazy_?"

"I'm not as crazy as you think, sis. I bought the ring because I knew her well enough by that point to know that she'd accept."

Despite herself, Angel couldn't help but chuckle. "You're impossible, bro," she told him, and then she mock-slugged him in the shoulder. "So, how did _that_ date go?"

"Well, I told Colleen how I felt about her, and then I serenaded her, and then came the proposal, which she accepted—just as I knew she would—and we kissed for a long time. Then we played in the snow for six hours, and then we went back inside." Then Hunter had a sudden thought. "Since you're here, sis, would you like to help me pick a tux for the wedding?"

"I've got some time to kill before I meet the Master in the gym to start my training, so sure." They spent several minutes perusing the tuxedo designs in the catalog, and they finally settled on a black tuxedo with a white shirt, a blue bow-tie, and a blue cummerbund, with shoes that were mostly black with blue tops. At that time it was almost time for Angel's training to start, so Angel sought Goldie out to prepare something suitable for her to wear for training, which Goldie gladly did for her. Then, wearing her new threads, she headed for the gym.

When Angel got to the gym, Shepard was waiting for her. "Hello, Angel," he greeted her. Then he noticed what she was wearing. "What in the name of all that is good and holy are you wearing?"

"This?" She gestured to her clothing. "This is what Obi-Wan Kenobi wore in _Star Wars_. Since I'm a Jedi now, I figured that I might as well look the part."

"Well, I think you look ridiculous, but whatever floats your boat. Also, you're a little early."

"I guess I'm eager to start my training, Master."

"Your tune might change once we get started," Shepard told her. "I don't plan on going easy on you."

"Bring it on," Angel replied with a determined look on her face. "I'm not afraid."

"Oh?" Shepard got right in Angel's face. "You will be, Angel," he said in an ominously quiet voice. "You will be." All Angel could do in response was chuckle nervously.

 **11 March 1998, 18h00 local time  
Road Rovers HQ, USA  
**Later on that day Angel left training with a splitting headache. True to his word, Shepard had not gone easy on her, and it had taken all the concentration she could muster to defend herself from Shepard's mental onslaught, but by the end of the training session her grit had paid off, as she was now almost as competent as Shepard when it came to mental defense. Also, she learned how to control the power better so that she wouldn't have seizures when in a large crowd. As she was leaving the gym, Shepard had recommended that she train with Blitz in the use of weapons on the side and that a little martial-arts training with Colleen couldn't hurt, so Angel had promised that she would ask them after she had had some much-needed rest. Presently she reached the rec room, walked over to the television, put a VHS copy of _All Dogs Go to Heaven_ into the VCR, and sat down on the sofa to watch the movie. Before long Blitz entered the rec room, having just finished his workout. Going over to the television, he saw that Angel was watching the movie. "Hi, Angel," he greeted her. "May I sit?"

Angel turned to look at Blitz and smiled. "Sure," she replied. So Blitz sat down next to her. "So, Angel," he said, "I've been looking everywhere for you. Where were you all afternoon?"

"I was training with the Master," Angel replied. "He's teaching me how to control my new abilities."

"How strict was he?"

"Well, before training had even started he had promised not to go easy on me, and boy, did he ever deliver on that promise. I've still got a headache from it." Then Angel said, "You said you were looking everywhere for me, Blitz. Is there something you wanted?"

"Yeah." Blitz took one of Angel's hands in his own hand. "I want to tell you that I think you're the sweetest, prettiest, most caring dog that I've ever met, and I think I've fallen in love with you."

Angel paused the tape. "Really?"

" _Ja_. Really. I think it started that morning when I woke to you licking my hand."

"Yes. I remember that morning. I became a Road Rover later on that day."

"I recall thinking that I could get used to this—being with you, that is to say. Sure, I tried to go back to sleep and you bit me, but you did that only because you didn't want me to miss breakfast, right?"

"Right. That was also the reason why I started licking your hand—I had smelt the food being prepared, and I wanted to make sure you gotten some of it."

"That told me that you at least care about me, and that's when I think I started falling for you." Blitz paused, as if to consider something. "Do you feel the same way about me, Angel?"

"Actually, Blitz, yes, I do feel the same way. I fell for you right after I learned that you were the one who rescued me."

"That's good to hear. It's going to make this a lot less awkward."

"Make what a lot less awkward?"

"This." Blitz cleared his throat and began to sing:

 _ **For all those times you stood by me  
For all the truth that you made me see  
For all the joy you brought to my life  
For all the wrong that you made right  
For every dream you made come true  
For all the love I found in you  
I'll be forever thankful, baby  
You're the one who held me up, never let me fall  
You're the one who saw me through, through it all**_

 _ **You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cause you believed  
I'm everything I am because you loved me**_

When Angel heard this, she was inspired to respond in song:

 _You gave me wings and made me fly  
You touched my hand, I could touch the sky  
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me  
You said no star was out of reach  
You stood by me and I stood tall_

 _I had your love, I had it all  
I'm grateful for each day you gave me  
Baby I don't know that much, but I know this much is true  
I was blest because I was loved by you_

 _You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cause you believed  
I'm everything I am because you loved me_

Then they alternated lines:

 _ **You were always there for me  
** A tender wind that carried me  
 **A light in the dark, shining your love into my life  
** You've been my inspiration  
 **You helped me see the truth  
** My world is a better place because of you_

Then they sang together:

 _ **You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cause you believed  
I'm everything I am because you loved me**_

They sang the refrain again, in a higher key:

 _ **You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith 'cause you believed  
I'm everything I am because you loved me**_

 _ **I'm everything I am... because you loved me**_

When they finished the song, they looked into each other's eyes for a long moment, then they embraced each other. Tears of joy were flowing freely from Blitz's eyes. "I love you so much, Angel," he told her. "And I love you, Blitz," Angel replied, her eyes equally moist. When they let go of each other, Blitz did something most unexpected: he got up, turned to face Angel, and sank to one knee. Taking Angel's hands in his, he said, "Angel, I haven't known you for very long, but in the short time we've spent together, I've come to realize that you are the one I've been looking for."

"I know, Blitz," Angel said. "I feel the same way about you. When I first saw your face, I knew that we were destined to be together."

"Well, let's not keep destiny waiting, then." Disengaging one of his hands, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a diamond ring. "Angel, my dear," he asked her, "will you marry me?"

Angel cupped Blitz's face between her hands, then leaned forward until the tip of her nose touched the tip of Blitz's. "Yes, Blitz," she whispered gently. "I will." She took the ring and put it on her own ring finger, then captured Blitz's mouth in her own, and they kissed for about a minute. When they disengaged, Angel asked, "Blitz, would you like to watch the rest of this movie with me?"

"Why, Angel, I'd be glad to." So Blitz got back on the sofa next to Angel, and they watched the rest of the movie together. By the time the movie ended, they were both fast asleep, leaning against each other.

 **End of chapter 5**


	6. Nightmares and Comfort

THE MUSIC OF OUR LIVES

a Road Rovers fan fiction by Ratchet McCloud

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs or canon characters in this fic.**

Summary: Hunter leaves Rovers HQ by himself to visit his mother on the anniversary of his first visit, and it's not purely a social visit; he wants to ask his mother's advice on certain matters. This will impact the team in a big way... (Pairings: Hunter x Colleen, Blitz x OC, takes place after episode 13 of the series)

 **Chapter 6  
Nightmares and Comfort  
**Featured song: "All Through the Night"  
Based on a Welsh lullaby

 **12 March 1998, 0h00 local time  
Road Rovers HQ, USA  
** _Angel_ _woke up to the sound of rushing water. She woke up to find that she was on a large rock and_ _that_ _water was all around her. A terrible_ _thought_ _took hold in her mind, and she looked up. She saw a bridge and a pickup truck parked on it._ Oh no! _she thought._ I'm back on that blasted rock! I've got to get out of here! _She tried to rise, but felt a great pain in one of her legs, and sank back down. Looking back up, she saw that a man had just gotten out of the truck and had something long and straight in his hand. She didn't have to look very hard at the man or what he was holding to know that he was her ex-owner and that the object in his hand was a rifle. She also knew enough about rifles that now would be a good time for her to panic._ No! _she thought._ I don't want to die! Someone please help me! Blitz, Hunter, Mom, anyone, PLEASE HELP ME! _But it was no use. She was alone in the middle of the river, and no one was coming to help her. She could only watch in petrified horror as the man slowly_ _walked up to the bridge's railing_ _and_ _pointed the gun at her._ _Then she screamed, and that's when the man fired..._

Angel woke up screaming and found that she was lying on the couch in the Road Rovers headquarters' rec room. She also noticed that she wasn't alone; Blitz was on the couch with her. Of course, Angel's screaming woke Blitz, and he opened his eyes to see her with a terrified look on her face and tears in her eyes. "Angel?" he asked worriedly. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, it was horrible, Blitz!" Angel whispered in an agitated tone. "I was back on that rock in the middle of that river, and my ex-owner came back to finish me off! I called for someone to help me but no one came, and that's when he shot me!" She then started bawling her eyes out. Blitz gently embraced her. "Shh, shh," he whispered gently to her. "It's all right; you just had a bad dream. You're safe now. Everything's going to be all right. Please go back to sleep."

"I can't," Angel confessed amid her tears. "I'm too scared."

"What can I do to make you feel better, Angel?"

"Will you hold me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course I will." So Blitz maintained his gentle embrace, and he sang softly to her:

 _Sleep, my love, and peace attend thee  
All through the night  
Guardian angels God will send thee  
All through the night_

 _Soft the drowsy hours are creeping  
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping  
I a loving watch am keeping  
All through the night_

 _Angels watching ever round thee  
All through the night  
In thy slumbers close surround thee  
All through the night  
They will of all fears disarm thee  
No forebodings shall alarm thee  
They will let no peril harm thee  
All through the night_

 _While the moon her watch is keeping  
All through the night  
While the weary world is sleeping  
All through the night  
O'er thy spirit gently stealing_

 _Visions of delight revealing  
Breathes a pure and holy feeling  
All through the night_

 _Every star in heav'n is singing  
All through the night  
Hear the glorious music ringing  
All through the night  
Songs of sweet ethereal lightness  
Wrought in realms of peace and whiteness  
Dark shall soon give way to brightness  
All through the night_

 _So sleep, my love, and peace attend thee  
All through the night  
Guardian angels God will send thee  
All through the night  
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping  
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping  
I a loving watch am keeping  
All through the night_

 _I a loving watch am keeping  
All through the night_

 _All... through... the night_

When Blitz finished singing, he saw that the song had done the trick, as Angel was fast asleep. He kissed her ever so gently on the top of her head, and whispered, "Sleep well, my angel. I love you." Before long he too had fallen asleep, still holding her gently.

 **End of chapter 6**


	7. Reconciliation

THE MUSIC OF OUR LIVES

a Road Rovers fan fiction by Ratchet McCloud

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs or canon characters in this fic.**

Summary: Hunter leaves Rovers HQ by himself to visit his mother on the anniversary of his first visit, and it's not purely a social visit; he wants to ask his mother's advice on certain matters. This will impact the team in a big way... (Pairings: Hunter x Colleen, Blitz x OC, takes place after episode 13 of the series)

Note: This chapter introduces another OC. Like the first one, this OC also has some connection to Hunter...

 **Chapter 7  
Reconciliation  
**Featured song: "Always On My Mind"  
Original performer: B.J. Thomas, 1970

 **12 March 1998, 07h45 local time  
Road Rovers HQ, USA  
**Angel slowly opened her eyes to find herself looking at something red. She was puzzled at first, but then she remembered that Blitz had been wearing a red shirt the night before. Slowly she looked up to see the strong lower jaw of her fiancé. Then she looked down and saw that his arms were still wrapped around her waist. She smiled at that sight. Inching her body "upwards", she captured Blitz's mouth with her own. Of course, this woke Blitz immediately (who could sleep through their beloved kissing them _on the mouth_?), and the first thing he saw was Angel's face attached to his own, so he added his own energy to the kiss, which lasted for well over a minute. When they parted, Blitz said, "Wow, Angel. That may have been the best wake-up call I've ever received."

"I aim to please, my brave hero," she replied.

"May I ask what brought this on?"

"Well, I woke up to find that you were still holding me, and I wanted to thank you for doing that. I think that's the reason why I slept through the night. The kiss was my way of saying thank you."

"You are most welcome, my angel." And they started kissing again. Suddenly, they heard the sound of a flashbulb going off, and they sat up quickly and looked around. At first they found no one, but then they caught a familiar scent coming from behind the couch. They looked over the edge of the couch to find Hunter with a Polaroid camera. Angel scowled. "Hunter!" she said crossly. "Not funny!"

Hunter got up and took the photo out of the camera. "Sorry, sis," he apologized as the photo was beginning to develop. "It's just that I got up early to watch TV and I found you guys asleep on the couch. It was such an adorable sight that I couldn't help but take a photo. So I ran back to my room and got the camera, but by the time I had returned, you were awake and kissing, but it was still a great photo op, so I took the photo." He handed the photo to them. "If you guys ever start making a photo album, this can go in it."

Angel and Blitz looked at the photo. After studying it for a few seconds, Blitz finally conceded, "You're right, Hunter; we _do_ look adorable in this photo. What do you think, Angel?" Angel nodded. "Yeah, Blitz, we _do_ look cute in this photo." Then she looked at Hunter. "I owe you an apology, my brother," she told him. "I thought you were trying to blackmail us, but I was wrong."

"Hey, sis, don't worry about it," Hunter replied. He saw that Angel was handing the photo back to him and stopped her. "No," he said. "Keep it. Let it always remind you of the love you guys share."

"I will, bro. I would like to ask one thing of you, however."

"Name it."

"The next time you want to take a photograph of us, let us know, or better yet ask us. You almost gave me a heart attack."

Hunter gave a thumbs up. "Sure thing, Angel." Then he had a thought. "Wait a minute," he said. "Why were you guys on the couch together in the first place?" So Angel told him of the events of the previous night, and she showed him the diamond ring that Blitz had given her. Hunter's eyes went wide. "You... and Blitz?" he asked. Angel nodded with a shit-eating grin on her face. Then Hunter grinned just as widely and let out an excited whoop. "This is great news!" he exclaimed. "Congratulations!" Before Angel knew it, she found herself being embraced by him. Then he embraced Blitz just as enthusiastically. "Welcome to the family, Blitz!" he told him.

"Thanks for the enthusiastic welcome, Hunter," Blitz said in a strained voice, "but could you please let go of me? I can't breathe!" Hunter immediately released Blitz. "Sorry, pal," he said, scratching the back of his head nervously. "I guess I don't know my own strength sometimes." Just then, Colleen appeared in the rec room. She had a towel wrapped around her otherwise naked body, and her fur looked slightly poofy. "All right, Huntie," she said, "the shower's available now."

"Sweet. Thanks, Colleen." He headed toward Colleen. When he got next to her, he sniffed her. "Wow," he said, "you smell _great_."

"It's the same shampoo I always use when I take a shower, Huntie," Colleen objected.

"You'd smell great no matter what shampoo you use, Colleen."

"Aww, Huntie, you're such a sweetheart." Colleen kissed her fiancé lightly on the cheek. "But weren't you about to take your shower?"

"Oh, that's right! I'm going to go shower now." He kissed Colleen back, also on the cheek. "I'll be back in a few." And he was off. Once Hunter was out of sight, Collen walked over to Angel. "Your name is Angel, am I right?" she asked her.

"That's right..." Angel said, "...Colleen, was it?"

"Yes, that's right," Colleen answered her. "I'm Huntie's fiancée. And you must be his sis, am I right?"

"Right again," Angel said.

"I heard Huntie shouting about some great news. What is it, if you know?"

"Blitz and I got engaged last night!" And Angel showed Colleen the ring. Colleen beamed at her. "You're right, Angel," she told her, "that _is_ great news." She then regarded Blitz. "See, Blitz?" she said to him. "I told you you'd find that special someone."

"Yes, you did," Blitz agreed, "and you're right. Angel and I are a match made in heaven." Then his stomach started growling. "Well, I'd like to chat further, but I've got to go eat breakfast. See you guys later." He gave Angel a quick peck on the cheek, then he headed toward the mess hall. When Blitz was out of earshot, Angel asked Colleen, "After you get dressed and have breakfast, would you like to do something with me?"

"Sure, Angel. Whatever did you have in mind?"

"I don't know. It's just that I don't know you that well yet, and I'd like us to get to know each other better."

"Perhaps we could take a walk outside, then? And would your mum be willing to come along?"

"That's a great idea. Let's go ask her." So the two female Cano-Sapiens had breakfast, along with the rest of the team, then they asked Goldie about going on a walk with them. She refused, saying that she felt like being alone at the moment. They were bummed, of course, but they went on their walk anyway. They spent about two hours walking and talking together and learned a great deal about each other in the process. Then they started to tire, so they found a tree to sit under to rest. "So, Angel," Colleen asked her, "why do you think Goldie didn't want to come on this walk with us?"

"I think Goldie's feeling another pang of grief over losing her mate," Angel replied. "Sometimes just seeing me reminds her of what she lost. What about you, Colleen? Do you ever think about your parents?"

"Well," Colleen replied, "I never knew me da, but sometimes I think about me mum. I was only a few days old when we became strays, and we lived on the streets of London. It wasn't a pleasant life. We had to keep our wits about us constantly, what with all the vehicles, other strays, and animal control officers milling about. She taught me everything she knew—how to forage, how to avoid getting caught by dogcatchers, and how to fight. Anyway, when I was about eight months old, she took ill. During this period, she started giving me wise advice about how to go through life. And then, one night when I was ten months old, she fell asleep and never woke up. It was then that I knew why she had started giving me advice: she knew that she was going to die soon and she wanted to make sure that I would be able to survive without her. And survive I did, for another three months. That's when the Master called me, and the rest, as they say, is history." She smiled sadly. "Sometimes thinking about me mum makes me sad that she's not around anymore, but she wouldn't want to me to cry my eyes out over her, so the grief never lasts very long."

"What about your dad?" Angel pressed. "Do you ever think about him or wonder who he might be?"

"Not really," Colleen said. "I did at first, but eventually I decided that I might be better off not knowing. So I stopped wondering."

"It's probably for the best," Angel agreed. "Colleen?"

"Yes?"

"What was all that business between you and Blitz back there? Are you his ex?"

"No, nothing like that. He used to have a huge crush on me."

"Used to? What cured him?"

"I'd tell you, Angel, if it were my story to tell, but it isn't. Blitz is the one to tell you that one, and I suspect he will, once he's ready to do so. I don't think it'd be a good idea to press him about it, though." Colleen shivered. "It's getting a little chilly out here, don't you think?"

Angel also shivered. "Yeah, I think you're right. Let's head back." So they headed back. When they returned, Colleen headed to the kitchen to aid Shag in preparing lunch, and Angel went to the gym to exercise (to keep in peak physical form) and meditate (to keep in peak mental form and hone her abilities). About half an hour later, it was time for lunch, so Goldie emerged from her quarters and headed for the mess hall. When she got to the mess hall, the whole team was there. After serving herself, she saw that Hunter, Colleen, Angel, and Blitz were all sitting together, so she sat down next to them. Angel was the first to notice her mother's presence at the table. "Hey, Mama," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm a little better now that I've had some rest," Goldie told her, "but I'm still a bit sad."

"Is there anything we can do, Mom?" Hunter asked her.

"Thanks for the concern, Hunter, but there's nothing that can be done."

"What if we were to find your husband for you?" Colleen suggested. Goldie growled at her. "Don't play with my emotions, pup," she rebuked her angrily. Colleen held up her hands in a mollifying gesture. "I didn't mean to offend you, Goldie," she said. "Humor me, though. Would that cheer you?" Goldie calmed down. "Yes, it would," she admitted, "but it's impossible." She finished her lunch. "I think I'd like to be alone now," she said. Standing up, she left the mess hall, leaving the four other Cano-Sapiens at the table. They pondered the current predicament for a while, then Angel finally spoke. "Guys, I think I might have an idea as to how we can pull this off." She stood up. "But I'm going to need the Professor's help." She left the mess hall and went to the laboratory. When she reached the lab, she pressed a button on the intercom and asked, "Professor? Are you in there?"

"Yeah," came Professor Hubert's voice. "Who's asking?"

"It's Angel, sir. I need a favor."

"What is it?"

"Did you save the hair that you shaved off of me when you bandaged me up after Blitz rescued me?"

"Yes, I did. Why do you ask?"

"Could you use that hair to analyze my DNA and perform a computer search of dogs with similar DNA profiles?"

"Sure, Angel. Hold on, though; this may take a while." Fifteen minutes later, he emerged from the lab holding a small stack of papers. "Here are the search results, Angel," he said, handing her the papers.

"Thank you, Professor. You may have just saved my mom's happiness."

"What did you mean by that?"

"I'll explain later."

"Fair enough. Is there anything else?"

"No, thanks; I'm good. I'll let you get back to whatever it was you were doing." And with that she went to her quarters to read the results, of which there were four, complete with photographs. Three of them she knew to be herself, Hunter, and Goldie, based on the specifics provided on each of them, but it was the fourth that drew her attention, mainly because the GPS coordinates of its location placed it only a few miles from Road Rovers headquarters! Quick as a wink, she went to find Hunter. She found him in the rec room with Blitz; they were standing near the billiards table and Hunter was racking up some of the balls. "Hey, Hunter," she greeted him. "What's up?"

"Oh, hi, sis. Blitz and I were about to play some nine-ball. Do you want to watch?"

"No, thanks. I actually need you to come with me for something."

"And that would be?"

"I need to get to this location, and I don't know how to operate any of the vehicles." She showed Hunter the printout. After reading the printout, he said, "All right, Angel, I'll help you. We'll take the Street Rover." He saw Angel's confused look. "That's the vehicle Blitz and I used to bring you here from where you were rescued," he explained. He looked at Blitz. "Sorry, Blitz," he said. "It looks like our game will have to wait."

"That's fine, Hunter," Blitz said, "but what if someone asks where you guys are? What do I tell them?"

"Tell them that Hunter and I are working on a surprise for Mama," Angel replied. Hunter arched an eyebrow. "What?" Angel asked him. "That's technically true." He continued to stare at her. She rolled her eyes. "I'll explain on the way, all right?"

"Fair enough," Hunter conceded. "Let's hit the road." So they went to the vehicle bay and got in the Street Rover. They climbed into the seats at the front of the vehicle, then Hunter entered the location from the printout in the Street Rover's navigation system and fired up the engine. Before long they were on their way. About fifteen minutes later, the navigation system indicated that they had arrived. Hunter looked and saw a kill shelter. Parking the vehicle, Hunter just sat there rubbing his temples. "All right, sis," he said to Angel, "explain."

"Explain what?" Angel asked him.

"Explain why I took you to a kill shelter. I wouldn't have done it if I'd known."

Angel sighed. "All right. Papa's here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"This is an unexpected twist, but it's no bummer." Smiling, he said, "All right, let's go save our dad." So they left the Street Rover and went inside the shelter. After being greeted by a staff worker, who apparently was a Road Rovers fan, they showed her the photograph and were told that that dog had been there for almost three months and was scheduled for destruction the following week, since no one had come to claim him. "We'll take him," Hunter told her.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," the staff worker said. "He's a little on the difficult side. Are you sure?"

"Yes," Hunter replied. "He's our father. Will you please let us have him?"

"I don't usually do this," the staff worker said, "but you're family, so I'll let you guys have him. He's in the back. Follow me." So they followed the staff worker to the back of the building, where they saw rows and rows of cages, most of which were occupied with strays. Toward the front of the room, in a cage on the floor, there was a black Labrador who had started barking at them the moment that they entered the room. "Here he is," the staff worker said. "I'll leave you guys alone. When you're ready to leave, just come back up front."

"Thank you, ma'am," Hunter said.

"Anything for the Road Rovers," she replied with a wink. Leaving the key to the cage with them, she left. Hunter and Angel sat down in front of the cage. "Hi there, fella," Hunter greeted the dog. "I'm Hunter, and this is my sister Angel. We've come to rescue you from this place."

{Thank God!} the dog barked. {I can't stand to be in this place another minute.} He sniffed the air. {You have my mate's scent on you, and so does your sister. How do you know her?}

"She's our mother," Angel answered him.

{How about that?} the dog mused. {I only mated with her once, about two-and-a-half years ago, and it resulted in pups.} Then he paused. {Holy crap!} he barked. {That means that you're _my_ pups too!}

"That's right... Dad," Hunter confirmed.

{Did your mother have any other pups in that litter?}

"Yes, Dad. There was a third pup—a brown female—but she was born dead."

{That's too bad. I would have liked to meet her too. At least I can take some small comfort that she is with the Lord now.}

"Amen," Hunter said. "All right, I think that's enough time wasted on chit-chat. Let's get you out of here." Hunter unlocked the cage, and the dog walked back to the front desk with Hunter and Angel. They filled out some paperwork, then they left. When they got back to the Stealth Rover, Hunter said to the dog, "Mom told us that she didn't know if you had a name. Do you have one?"

{I do,} the dog barked, {but my mate never knew it, as I didn't have it when we were together. The humans who work at that place have taken to calling me 'Shadow'. I don't know why that was, but I liked the sound of the name.}

"Very well. Shadow it is." With that, Hunter opened the Stealth Rover's door, and they climbed in. They seated themselves, then Shadow barked, {Where are we going?}

"We're going to the place where Angel and I call home, Dad," was Hunter's response.

{Is it far?}

"Not really. It took us about fifteen minutes to get here from there."

{Incredible.} Then Shadow had a thought. {I've noticed that you two are dogs, yet can walk and speak like the humans do. How is that possible?}

"When we get to where we're going, we won't just tell you how; we'll also _show_ you."

{That should be interesting.}

"All right, let's kick this pig." With that, Hunter fired up the Street Rover, and it wasn't long before they were on the road. Soon they were back at Rovers HQ. When they got there, they went to the Transdogrifier room and told Shadow of the Transdogrifier and what it does. Shadow didn't believe them, so Hunter went into the Transdogrifier and came out on all fours. Then he went back in and came out walking on two legs again and wearing what he had been wearing before. Shadow was convinced then, and without warning he jumped into the machine. When he came out, he was standing on two legs and wearing the Road Rover armor. " _C'est chouette_!" he exclaimed.

"What does that mean, Dad?" Hunter said.

"It's French, _mon fils_ ," Shadow replied. "It is the equivalent of 'That's awesome!'."

Hunter went livid. " _What the hell did you call me_?!"

"French again. That means 'my son'."

"How do you know French?"

"It has to do with where I came from." Seeing Hunter's confused expression, Shadow elaborated: "I was born in Montréal."

"You're Canadian?"

Shadow spat. " _Canadien_! Don't lump me with those _crétins_! I am _Québécois_ , and don't you forget it!"

"Whoa, Dad, calm down. What's kay-bay-quah?"

Shadow calmed down. "I'm from Québec, and _Québécois—_ literally 'from Québec'—is what we call ourselves, though technically Québec's part of Canada… for now."

"I see. But how did you get to be this far from there?"

"I did have a human master in Montréal. We moved here when I was a puppy, but he died soon afterward. I've been a stray ever since." Then he lookeed down. "How come you're wearing the same clothes as before and I'm wearing this?" he asked, gesturing to the armor.

"We all came out wearing that armor the first time we transformed," Hunter said. Angel added, "It's a bit on the tacky side, but it seems to offer very good protection."

"I see." Shadow tried to walk around, but one step and he promptly collapsed. "Could you guys help me up, please?" he said. "It seems I need to re-learn how to walk." So, leaning on his son and daughter, Shadow spent the next hour or so getting used to a new way of walking. When he was finished, Hunter asked him, "So, Dad, are you ready to meet everyone?"

Shadow looked confused. "What do you mean by 'everyone', son?"

"Well, there's our mom, of course, but we also live with seven other dogs—all of whom are Cano-Sapiens like Angel and me—and one human. I guess you could say that we're one big happy family, although the 'happy' part feels debatable at times."

Shadow had started visibly when Hunter mentioned his mother, and he asked, "She's _here_?"

"She is, and although she doesn't know it yet, she's waiting to meet you."

"Interesting. To answer your question, son, yes, I'm ready to meet everyone."

"Cool. Wait here." And with that Hunter and Angel left. They returned about ten minutes later. "All right, Dad, everything's ready. Follow us," he said, and he and Angel led Shadow to the rec room. Stopping just outside the doors, Hunter said to Shadow, "Angel and I are going in first. When I give the signal, come in."

"What's the signal?"

"I'll knock on the door three times, like this." He demonstrated the signal. "Got it?" Shadow nodded. "All right," Hunter said. He entered the room with Angel following him in. Seeing Hunter and Angel, Goldie said, "Welcome home, my darlings. Blitz said that you two had a surprise for me."

"Indeed we do, Mom," Hunter said. He went back to the door and rapped on it three times. In response to that signal, Shadow entered the room. "Guys, Mom," Hunter said, "this is my dad. His name is Shadow." To Shadow, he said, "Dad, these are the dogs we live with—well, most of them. The Collie is my fiancée Colleen. The Doberman standing next to her is my best friend Blitz; he's Angel's fiancé. The Siberian Husky and Polish Lowland Sheepdog behind them are our other friends Exile and Shag, and the Golden Retriever is our mother, Goldenrod, although she goes by 'Goldie' now." Shadow slowly approached Goldie. "Hi, Goldenrod," he said, "It's me." Goldenrod smiled briefly, then she growled and gave him a right hook across the face, knocking him on his butt. Then she fled sobbing. Shadow sat up and gingerly rubbed where Goldie had punched him. "I guess I deserved that," he said to no one in particular. Noticing everyone's confused looks, he elaborated: "I abandoned her when she needed me most. It seems that she hasn't completely gotten over that yet."

"What happened?" Blitz asked him.

"One day in the summer of ninety-five—it was soon after I became an adult—I met Goldie, and she and I got intimate. Some days later her owner came upon us and saw us locked together after we had just mated. He had a stick in his hand and began to beat me with it, all the while shouting death threats and curses. Seeing that Goldie and I were still locked together, I couldn't get away or defend myself, and I genuinely began to fear for my life. I had to wait until we were not locked together, and once that happened I ran away." His expression grew remorseful. "I truly regret that. Because of that I never got to see my pups grow up and they never had a father."

"True, Comrade Shadow," Exile said, "but he might have killed you had you stayed."

"Maybe," Shadow replied, "but I still regret running away. Since that day, I vowed I'd find her again, but it seems our pups found me first." He stood up. "Where did she go?" he asked. "I need to go to her and apologize."

"She probably went to her quarters," Hunter said, "but it's probably best to let her calm down for now."

"You're probably right, son," Shadow agreed. He looked approvingly at his children and their future spouses. "So, both of my children have mates of their own."

"That we do, Papa," Angel said. "Hunter and Colleen are getting married next week, but Blitz and I haven't set a date yet."

"This is very good news, indeed," Shadow said. "Hunter, Angel, I'm truly happy for both of you."

"Thanks, Dad/Papa," they replied in unison.

"Also, I feel I need to apologize to the two of you. My cowardice has caused you to grow up without a father. I'm so terribly sorry for that. I don't blame you if you never forgive me, but I hope that you can." Having said that, he hung his head in sorrow, but then he felt two pairs of arms coming into contact with his body, and he looked up to see Hunter and Angel embracing him. "It's all right, Dad," Hunter reassured him. "As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to forgive. As Exile said, you might have been killed had you stayed, and this moment here wouldn't be possible. That's the silver lining to this cloud, so don't worry about it." Angel nodded her agreement. "That's right, Papa," she said. "Sure, you weren't around during our puphood, but that's the past. You're here now, and that's all that matters." Then they released him from the hug, and Hunter said, "I'm going to go see if Mom is all right now," he said, and off he went. Ten minutes passed, then Hunter returned to the rec room. "Mom wants to see you now, Dad," he told Shadow. So Shadow went to Goldie's quarters and went inside.

When Shadow entered the room, he saw her with his back to him, looking out the window. "Goldie?" he said. "I'm here." Goldie turned to face him. "Thank you for coming," she told him. "Shadow, I'm sorry for slugging you like that. It was wrong of me to do that. It's just that I was angry and hurt and seeing you after all this time brought back all those painful memories, and I lashed out. None of that excuses what I did, though, and I'm sorry."

Shadow shook his head. "No, Goldie," he said, "I deserved that—worse than that, actually. After all, I abandoned you. I ran away. I left you to raise our pups by yourself. A few days later, however, I came to my senses and returned for you, but you were gone. So I decided, then and there, that I would look for you until I found you again. During that time I never stopped thinking about you." Then he began to sing:

 _Baby, I didn't treat you  
Quite as good as I should have  
Baby, I didn't love you  
Quite as often as I could have  
Little things I should have said and done  
I never took the time  
But you were always on my mind  
You were always on my mind_

 _Baby, I didn't hold you  
All those lonely, lonely times  
And I know I never told you  
I'm so happy that you're mine  
Yes, I made you feel second best  
And I'm so sorry; I was blind  
You were always on my mind  
You were always on my mind_

 _Tell me  
Tell me that your sweet love hasn't died  
Give me  
One more chance to keep you satisfied  
Satisfied_

 _Oh, I made you feel second best  
And I'm so sorry; I was blind  
You were always on my mind  
You were always on my mind_

 _Tell me  
Tell me that your sweet love hasn't died  
Give me  
One more chance to keep you satisfied  
You are always on my mind  
You are always on my mind_

 _You are always on my mind  
You are always on my mind_

 _You are always on my mind  
You are always on my mind_

When Shadow finished singing, Goldie had standing tears in her eyes. "You really never stopped thinking about me?" she asked in a voice barely louder than a whisper. " _Non_ , Goldie," Shadow confirmed, "not even for a millisecond." Upon hearing that, Goldie ran into her husband's arms and clung to him sobbing. "Oh, Shadow!" she managed to get out. "You have no idea how much I've missed you!"

"Actually, I think I do," Shadow countered, "because I've missed you just as much." He put his hand beneath Goldie's chin and tilted her muzzle up until she was looking him in the eyes. " _Je t'aime_ , Goldenrod."

"I love you too, Shadow." And with that they kissed. When their mouths parted, Goldie said, "I forgive you—now and always."

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, _ma fleur_."

"I also liked hearing you sing with that sexy accent, too."

" _Merci, ma chérie_."

"I do have a question, though."

"Ask it."

"How on earth did you ever find me?"

"That's kind of a long story, but an interesting one."

"Do tell."

Shadow cleared his throat. "Well, after two years and change of searching for you, I had the bad idea of looking for you in a big city. I was caught by a dogcatcher and sent to a kill shelter. I'd spent three months there, but no one wanted to take me home with them. So they decided that they were going to put me down. However, about a week before that day came, Hunter and Angel showed up there. Somehow they knew that I was there. Anyway, they rescued me, and here I am." Shadow let out a wry chuckle. "I spent thirty months trying to find you, but instead our offspring found me. It's kind of ironic, don't you think?"

"Little bit," Goldie agreed. "But that just shows how amazing they are. I need to thank them, and while I'm at it I should probably thank Colleen as well." Seeing her husband's confused expression, she explained: "While we were having lunch, Colleen mentioned the possibility of finding you. I dismissed it as impossible, but somehow Hunter and Angel did it. Anyway, I guess you could say that the whole thing was Colleen's idea."

"Hunter definitely picked himself a good one," Shadow observed.

"He really did. I only met her about two weeks ago, and already I love her as though she were my own daughter." She smirked suddenly. "Shadow?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you want to make up for lost time?" she asked in a seductive tone.

Perplexed, Shadow cocked his head. "How do you mean?"

"Well, my dear husband," Goldie said, giggling, "I'll show you." And she began to remove the dress she was wearing. It was then that Shadow understood what was going on, and he began to remove his armor...

 **End chapter 7**


	8. Loneliness

THE MUSIC OF OUR LIVES

a Road Rovers fan fiction by Ratchet McCloud

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs or canon characters in this fic.**

Summary: Hunter leaves Rovers HQ by himself to visit his mother on the anniversary of his first visit, and it's not purely a social visit; he wants to ask his mother's advice on certain matters. This will impact the team in a big way... (Pairings: Hunter x Colleen, Blitz x OC, Hunter's Mom x OC, takes place after episode 13 of the series)

 **Chapter 8  
Loneliness  
**Featured song: "Somebody to Love"  
Written and composed by Brian May  
Original performer: Queen, 1976

 **12 March 1998, 17h00 local time  
Road Rovers HQ, USA  
**The scene inside Goldie's bedroom was one of controlled chaos. The floor was littered with Goldie's clothes and Shadow's armor. As for Shadow and Goldie, they were peacefully resting on the bed, their now-naked forms covered by the rumpled bedsheets. Shadow's arms were wrapped protectively around Goldie, whose head was resting on Shadow's chest. Shadow was the first to open his eyes. He looked down at his beautiful wife and smiled. "Well, my dear," he asked her, "how's that for making up for lost time?"

Goldie opened her eyes, returned her husband's look, and smiled back. "That was amazing, just like our first time. You haven't lost your touch at all. Actually, this time was much better, because there wasn't a human with a stick around to ruin the moment. I think I actually had an out-of-body experience at one point. I really needed this. Thank you, Shadow, for giving me the greatest pleasure I've ever known—again."

"You are most welcome, my flower. I needed this, too, though I hadn't known it. You were no slouch yourself, you know. I got so much pleasure during the past three hours that I almost saw into the future. It's the most alive I've ever felt—even moreso than during our first time—and I have you to thank for it." With that, Shadow kissed Goldie between her eyes, then planted kisses down the length of her muzzle. When Shadow reached the tip of Goldie's nose, he said, "I'm so glad that we're together again, _mon amour_."

"Me too, sweetheart." Then Goldie brought her mouth up to meet Shadow's, resulting in a kiss that lasted for almost ninety seconds, and after that they cuddled for a while. Then, they heard Exile's voice over the PA announcing that dinner was being served, so they got up, got dressed, and headed for the mess hall.

When Shadow and Goldie got to the mess hall, the other Road Rovers were there, and they were staring at the two—that is, except for Hunter, who was blushing furiously and trying to avoid eye contact. Goldie noticed the eyes on them first. "What?" she asked. "You need to soundproof your bedroom, Comrade Goldie," Exile answered. "We could all hearski you and Comrade Shadow screaming each other's names at the top of your lungs for about an hour and a half." The other Rovers all nodded. Now it was Shadow and Goldie's turn to blush furiously. "How embarrassing," Goldie remarked. "I guess we need to keep it down a bit, huh, Shadow?" She punctuated the question by smacking her husband's rump. "It would seem so, Goldie," Shadow agreed. Then he said, "I assume that's also why Hunter won't look at us, then?" Angel nodded, then she explained further: "He went to your room about an hour ago to investigate all that screaming, and he saw you guys having sex. When he returned, all he could do was repeat the word 'sex' over and over again. That's why he's trying to avoid meeting your gaze."

"I see," Shadow said, then he turned his gaze toward Hunter. "Son," he said to him, "your mother and I want to have a little talk with you. Come with us." So Hunter got up and followed his parents out of the mess hall. Shag started to protest, but Shadow said, "I'm sorry, Shag, but this needs to be done. Just have our food sent to the room, OK?" Shag nodded, and Shadow led his family out. With the three gone, the rest of the team ate their meals. While this was going on, Shag fixed up three platters, then said something unintelligible. "Angel," Blitz said, "Shag just asked you to take your family's meals to them." Angel turned around and, sure enough, saw three dinner platters ready to be served. "Coming, Shag," Angel said. To Blitz, she said, "I'll be back after dinner, my hero," kissed him on the mouth, then was off. " _Mein Gott_ , what a beautiful woman," Blitz observed to no one in particular. "I could watch that tail swing back and forth all day." Before he knew it, his eyes had glazed over and he was panting. Then he felt a hand strike the back of his head, which took him out of his reverie. Turning toward the direction from which the blow came, he saw Exile with a disdainful look on his face. "Don't be weird boy," he growled at Blitz. This caused everyone else at the table to laugh uncontrollably, including Blitz himself. Before long, the laughing spell subsided and the Rovers finished their respective meals. Then they headed for the gymnasium.

When they got to the gym, Blitz and Exile immediately began to run laps around the gym floor while Colleen headed for the punching bag. Before long she was so engrossed in her workout that she was taken completely by surprise by a tap on the shoulder. She screamed and jumped almost five feet. Then she turned around. It was Angel. "Blimey!" she exclaimed. "Angel, don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry, Colleen," Angel apologized. "I was wondering if we could talk a bit."

"Sure thing, Angel. So, how's Huntie?"

"He's fine. Mama and Papa gave him the 'sex talk', so everything's all right now. You must have been worried sick about him, huh?"

"As much as it embarrasses me to admit it, yes. After all, he's been there for us in everything since we became Rovers, so to see him in such a state... was _bloody terrifying_. Part of me couldn't help but wonder, 'What if he never snaps out of it?' Good thing he did, eh?"

"Indeed. May I ask you something, Colleen?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"All right. Blitz and I were wondering: Would you and Hunter be OK with all of us getting married in the same ceremony?"

"You mean a double wedding?"

"Yes, that's what I mean."

"Well, aside from Huntie picking out a tux, nothing's been decided yet, so what the heck. No objection from me. I don't think Huntie will mind either, but it couldn't hurt to ask him."

"OK. Hold on." So Angel closed her eyes and concentrated. Before long she located her brother; he was in the rec room watching television. _Hunter?_ her thought asked.

 _Angel?_ Hunter's thought responded. _Is that you?_

 _Yeah, bro, it's me_ , Angel replied. _I have something to ask you._

 _Go ahead and ask._

 _Is it all right with you if we have a double wedding instead of two separate weddings? It's all right with Colleen, and she suggested that I ask you too._

 _You and Blitz want to get married at the same time as Colleen and I, don't you?_

 _You know it, bro. I don't know if you remember, but when we were pups we did_ everything _together—at least until we were separated. So, is it okay?_

 _Of course it is. That's a great idea. I can't think of a better way of formalizing Colleen and Blitz becoming part of the family._

 _Thank you so very much, my brother. You have no idea how much this means to me._

 _Anytime, my sister. May I go back to watching TV now?_

 _Sure, go ahead._ And she closed the mental link and opened her eyes. "Well?" Colleen asked her.

"He's OK with it," Angel replied.

"I thought he would be." Colleen smiled. "By Jove, telepathy seems to have its uses."

"Indeed," Angel agreed with a smirk. "Wait until I complete my training. I'll be the bad guys' worst nightmare!" Just then, Shepard's voice sounded over the PA: "Hunter, Angel, come to my office, please." So Angel politely took her leave of Colleen and headed for Shepard's office. When she got there, Hunter was already seated. "Ah, Angel," Shepard said. "Will you please close the door and have a seat?" Angel did as she was asked, sitting next to Hunter in front of Shepard's desk. "I suppose you two are wondering why I've summoned you here."

Hunter and Angel exchanged a quick look. "Now that you mention it, Master," Hunter said, "we are."

"I'll get right to it, then. I understand that you two have rescued a stray dog from a kill shelter, brought him here, and allowed him to use the Transdogrifier."

"Two things, Master," Angel replied. "First, he's our dad. They were going to put him down next week, so we had to rescue him."

"And 'allowed' is a little inaccurate," Hunter cut in. "He jumped in without giving us enough of a warning to stop it."

"I see. I ought to punish you two for this, but you saved a life, so I'll let it slide. However, next time you feel the urge to bring a dog here, ask my permission first, especially if you're planning to Transdogrify it."

"Yes, Master," they said in unison.

"Splendid. Now then, did he exhibit any unusual abilities after having been transformed?"

"He might have," Hunter said, "but if he did, I didn't witness it."

"I haven't seen anything either, Master," Angel added.

"Interesting," Shepard remarked. "Very well. When and if he does, will you be sure to let me know about it?"

"You got it, Master," Hunter said.

"Good. That is all for now, you two. Dismissed." So the two left Shepard's office and returned to their activities. When Angel returned to the gym, she could see that Colleen had resumed her workout, so she went to the punching bag and held it in place for Colleen. After about an hour, they switched places, and as Angel wailed on the punching bag Colleen gave her some pointers on how to land blows more efficiently. Before long Angel was almost as competent in the martial arts as Colleen. When she was finished with the punching bag, Angel invited Colleen to join her in meditation, and Colleen took her up on the offer. They meditated together until it was time for bed, then they retired to their quarters for a good night's sleep. As for Hunter, he went back to watching television in the rec room for a while longer, then he played pool with the other guys until bedtime, and then he, too, was off to bed.

 **13 March 1998, 10h00 local time  
Road Rovers HQ, USA  
**It was midmorning when Exile awoke. After going through his morning routine, he headed for the mess hall. While he was still on the way there, he noticed that the complex was unusually quiet. Even when he got to the mess hall, he saw no one; usually by this point he would see at least one of his teammates. So he explored the kitchen. Shag was in there, cleaning the dishes from breakfast. "Good morning, Shag," Exile greeted his teammate, who returned the greeting. Then Shag asked him something. He sighed. "Wellski," he explained, "I was deep in sleep, and I didn't hear my alarm clockski. That's why I wasn't at breakfast with the others." Shag then told him something in a stern voice. "Dokie-okie, Shag," Exile replied, "I will make it myself." Then he sighed. Shag asked him something. "Everyone seems to be pairing upski, Shag," he answered. "Comrade Hunter is marrying Comrade Colleen, and weird boy is marrying Comrade Angel. I know I should be gladski for friends, and I am, don't be getting me wrong, but I want to know where in worldski _my_ special someone is being." Then he began to sing:

 _Can... anybody... find me...  
Somebody to love?_

 _Each morning I get up I die a little  
Can barely stand on my feet  
Take a look in the mirror and I cry  
Lord, what're you doing to me?  
I have spent all my years in believing you  
But I just can't get no relief, Lord_

 _Somebody, somebody_

 _Can anybody find me  
Somebody to love?_

 _I work hard every day of my life  
I work till I ache my bones  
At the end of the day  
I take home my hard earned pay all on my own  
I get down on my knees and I start to pray  
Till the tears run down from my eyes, Lord  
Somebody, ooh somebody  
Can anybody find me  
Somebody to love?_

 _Every day  
I try and I try and I try_

 _But everybody wants to put me down  
They say I've gone crazy  
They say I've got a lot of water in my brain  
I got no common sense  
I got nobody left to believe  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

Exile spent some time howling, then he returned to singing:

 _Oh somebody, somebody  
Can anybody find me  
Somebody to love?_

 _I got no feel, I got no rhythm  
I just keep losing my beat_

 _I'm okay, I'm all right  
I ain't gonna face no defeat  
I just gotta get out of this prison cell  
Someday I'm gonna be free, Lord..._

 _Find me somebody to love  
Find me somebody to love  
Find me somebody to love  
Find me somebody to love  
Find me somebody to love  
Find me somebody to love  
Find me somebody to love  
Find me somebody to love, love, love  
Find me somebody to love  
Find me somebody to love  
Somebody  
Somebody  
Somebody find me  
Somebody find me somebody to love_

 _Can anybody find me...  
Somebody to... love?_

When Exile finished singing, he buried his face in his hands and began to cry. Shag patted him on the shoulder, then told him something at length. "Thanks for the pep talk, Shag," Exile said. Then his face took on a confused look. "Hold phoneski," he said. "Where exactly _is_ everyone right now? I haven't heard peepski from anyone since I got up." Shag told him, and Exile got even more confused. "If everyone's getting fitted for tuxedos and dresses, then why didn't _you_ go with them?" Shag told him. Exile considered Shag's words, then he nodded. "I can understand thatski, Shag," he said. "There are times where I want to go shopping by myself, too." Shag then told him something, then left. Now alone in the kitchen, Exile fixed his own breakfast, then ate it in the mess hall, and then took a shower. After his shower, he went to his quarters to put on a clean change of clothes, and then he went to the rec room and saw that Shag was there. So, they decided to pass the time watching some movies. They finished watching two movies and were halfway through a third when the other Rovers returned from town. "Hi there, Exile, Shag," Hunter said as he entered the rec room. He was carrying two bundles. Exile turned off the VCR and the television set and turned around. "Hello, Comrade Hunter," Exile returned the greeting. "How did picking up tuxes and dresses go?"

"It went well enough, Exile. Here's yours." And Hunter handed one of the bundles to Exile. "Since you weren't with us, we had to tell the tailor your measurements, but I think we got it right." Exile accepted the bundle. "Wait hereski," he said to Hunter. "I am going to be trying this on to make sure it fits." And he left the room. Several minutes later, he returned. The tux was in the same style as Hunter's, but with green in the places that were blue on Hunter's tux. "How am I looking, Comrade Hunter?" he asked.

"Lookin' good, buddy," Hunter replied with a thumbs-up. "Does it fit all right?"

" _Da_ , Comrade Hunter. It is fitting perfect." Soon the other guys joined Hunter and Exile, and they were also wearing their tuxes. Blitz's tuxedo was identical to Hunter's, except sized to fit his slightly more muscular frame, and Shadow's had red instead of blue but was otherwise identical to Hunter's. Shag, however, wasn't wearing a tux. "Wow," remarked Hunter. "You and Dad look superb."

" _Danke_ , Hunter," Blitz said. "You don't look so bad yourself."

To Exile, Shadow, and Blitz, Hunter said, "I suppose you want me to go try my tux on now, right?" They nodded. "All right," Hunter said. "I'll be back in a minute." And he left. He returned wearing the tux. The other guys congratulated Hunter on how he looked, and Hunter thanked them. Then he asked Shag, "When are you going to get your outfit done? The wedding's in a week, you know, and if you wait too long, you won't be able to get it done before the big day." Shag told him, and Hunter nodded. "Cool," he said. Then they went to their respective rooms to change back into their normal clothes. Soon after that, it was time for dinner. After dinner, Hunter went to his room and did some "spring cleaning"; that is, he discarded everything that he no longer wanted or needed. Blitz did similarly in his own room. They were doing this to make space in their respective rooms for their respective better halves' things, since they were going to be moving in with them soon. While all this was going on, Exile got to work writing the invitations and sending them out, and Shag started brainstorming ideas for the wedding feast. Then bedtime came, and it was time for the Rovers to go to sleep. As for Exile, as he drifted off to sleep, a single tear rolled down his face as he dwelled one last time on his loneliness. Little did he know, in Japan someone he would soon meet was just as lonely...

 **End of chapter 8**


	9. Repairs

THE MUSIC OF OUR LIVES

a Road Rovers fan fiction by Ratchet McCloud

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the songs or canon characters in this fic.**

 **Author's Note: I'm back! Here is the promised Chapter 9. Also, I've partially re-written the previously existing chapters, so go and check out the changes I've made.**

Summary: Hunter leaves Rovers HQ by himself to visit his mother on the anniversary of his first visit, and it's not purely a social visit; he wants to ask his mother's advice on certain matters. This will impact the team in a big way... (Pairings: Hunter x Colleen, Blitz x OC, Hunter's Mom x OC, takes place after episode 13 of the series)

 **Chapter 9  
** **Repairs  
** Featured song: "Butterfly"  
Written by Robert Uhlman & Robin Rex  
Originally performed by in 1997

 **A few minutes after the last scene in Chapter 8  
Undisclosed location in Yokohama prefecture, Japan  
**In a darkened house on the other side of planet Earth, a female figure woke from her slumber. After doing her morning routine, she dressed herself in a hooded kimono, raised the hood to obscure her face, and opened the curtains of her bedroom. The sun was just coming up, bringing the promise of warmth to the land. That didn't matter to the girl, however, because she had never been outside in her life (as far as she knew) and had no desire to go outside. She let out a melancholy sigh and began to sing in a morose, downtempo voice:

 _Ai-yi-yi, ai-yi-yi, ai-yi-yi  
Where's my samurai?_

 _I've been searching for a man, all across Japan  
Just to find, to find my samurai  
Someone who is strong, but still a little shy  
Yes, I need, I need my samurai_

 _Ai-yi-yi, I'm your little butterfly  
Green, black and blue make the colors in the sky  
Ai-yi-yi, I'm your little butterfly  
Green, black and blue make the colors in the sky_

 _Ai-yi-yi, ai-yi-yi, ai-yi-yi  
Where's my samurai?_

 _Ai-yi-yi, ai-yi-yi, ai-yi-yi  
Where's my samurai?_

She vocalized for a while, then she resumed singing:

 _Ai-yi-yi, I'm your little butterfly  
Green, black and blue make the colors in the sky  
Ai-yi-yi, I'm your little butterfly  
Green, black and blue make the colors in the sky_

 _Ai-yi-yi, I'm your little butterfly  
Green, black and blue make the colors in the sky  
Ai-yi-yi, I'm your little butterfly  
Green, black and blue make the colors in the sky_

 _Ai-yi-yi, ai-yi-yi, ai-yi-yi  
Where's my samurai?_

 _Ai-yi-yi, ai-yi-yi, ai-yi-yi  
Where's my samurai?_

 _Ai-yi-yi, I'm your little butterfly  
Green, black and blue make the colors in the sky_

She finished her song and began to weep. Just then, someone came up to her. "Sakura- _chan_?" he addressed her.

She wiped her eyes and looked toward where the voice came from. "Yes, Jeeves- _kun_?" she answered him.

"Your father requests your presence, and you'd better hurry up, if you take my meaning."

Sakura knew what the butler was saying and silently mouthed 'oh, no', but all she said aloud was, " _Arigatou_ , Jeeves- _kun_." With that, she left with all possible haste. She arrived in her father's bedroom. An elderly human was lying on the bed, his body covered by the bedsheets. He beckoned her to the bedside, and she obediently obliged. "You wanted to see me, _otousan_?" she asked him.

"I did indeed, my daughter," he answered. Then he suffered a bout of intense coughing. Then the coughing subsided, and the old man sighed. "Sakura- _chan_ , I am not long for this world, and I have no living relatives. You are my only family. When I am gone, you will be all alone. I don't want that for you."

"I don't want that either."

"I know you don't, my daughter. So I am sending you to the home of my American colleague."

"Dr. Shepard- _san_?"

"You remember his name. Excellent." More coughing. "He will treat you well, and others who are like you live with him."

"Others who are like me? Is it possible?"

"It is indeed, my daughter. The experience will be good for you."

"But, _otousan_ , I've never even been outside this house. How can you expect me to leave _Japan_? How would I even find the place?"

"Because I've already made all the arrangements for your travel." The old man handed Sakura an airplane ticket and a slip of paper with an address on it, had another coughing fit, then spoke again, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "My time is fast approaching. I want you to know that I love you very much."

Tears fell freely from Sakura's eyes as she gripped the old man's rapidly cooling hand. "I love you too, _otousan_. Please don't leave me."

"I have no control over that, Sakura- _chan_. Promise me that you'll go."

Sakura sighed sadly. " _Yosh, otousan_. I will do as you say. I will go to America. But first I would bury you. I'm very good at burying things, as you know."

"That's my girl," the old man wheezed. "Sakura- _chan_?"

"Yes, _otousan_?"

"Please pull back your hood. I would look upon your face one last time." Slowly Sakura did as the old man requested, revealing a canine face. The old man reached up to caress Sakura's cheek, and Sakura gripped his hand with both of hers as though she thought her grip could keep the old man among the living, the tears now streaming openly down her face.

The old man spoke one last time, his breathing becoming increasingly labored: "Be at peace, my daughter. I have no regret, save that I never married. You deserve to be part of a real family with others who are like you, and that is why I send you to Shepard. My time is now here, Sakura- _chan_. Carry to Shepard- _san_ the news of my passing." Once he had done that, he drew one last, shuddering breath, his eyes rolled back in his head, and his hand became limp in Sakura's grasp. Thus he passed into the afterlife.

Sakura respectfully posed the dead man's hands across his chest. Once she had done that, she threw back her head and howled her grief to the heavens for several seconds. Then she dried her eyes and returned to her bedroom to pack for her trip...

 **18 March 1998  
** **07h00 local time  
** **Road Rovers HQ, USA  
** Hunter was sleeping soundly in his quarters. This was the first time in the last four days that he had gotten a decent sleep, what with preparations for the wedding and preparing his own quarters for Colleen moving in. He was so dead to the world at this point that he didn't hear his door open. And he definitely didn't hear the sound of footsteps on the floor, or feel the weight of another body on the bed. Suddenly, he felt something warm and wet on his mouth, and also... inside of it? _I_ _can't be sure_ , he thought, _but_ _I_ swear _someone's kissing me on the mouth,_ and _using their tongue_. Then his nostrils picked up a familiar smell. _That smells like_ _Colleen_ , he thought, and, smiling broadly, he slowly opened his eyes. Sure enough, he saw his fiancée lying next to him on the bed looking at him with undisguised adoration plainly written on her face. Fortunately for Hunter's virtue, she was fully clothed. "Good morning, Huntie," she said to him. "Rise and shine."

Hunter smiled even more broadly. "Morning, Colleen," he returned the greeting. He yawned. "No-one's ever woken me with a kiss before, and that one felt just awesome. Thank you for that." He was practically beaming at Colleen, and she smiled back. "It was nothing, Huntie," she said. "I just wanted to let you know just how much I love you." "Well, you certainly did that," Hunter replied. "Now let me show you just how much I love you, Colleen." With that, he pulled her close, and she shivered with pleasure. Then, putting a hand underneath her chin, he gently tilted her muzzle upwards until it was pointed toward his own and captured her mouth with his. Their mouths stayed together like this for longer than a minute, and then he surprised her by inserting his tongue into her mouth. The kiss continued for two more minutes, then they had to get air, so they broke off. "Crikey, Huntie," Colleen said after catching her breath, "you must really love me a lot, don't ya?"

"Of course I do. After all, it's why I asked you to marry me."

"May I ask you something?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

"When was it that you fell in love with me?"

"Good question, Colleen." He paused to collect his thoughts. "I think it was after the mission in London."

"The werewolf attack?"

"That's the one. Anyway, after you turned into a werewolf, we had to find a way to change you back, and while we were doing that I started thinking how life would be if we hadn't been successful. It forced me to admit, at least to myself, how I really felt about you. I began to appreciate you more after that mission, and things kind of progressed from there." Hunter looked Colleen in the eyes. "When did you start falling for me, Colleen?"

"Also after the mission in London," Colleen replied without missing a beat. "I don't remember much about the time I spent as a werewolf, but I do remember feeling like a prisoner in my own body. What I was doing I had absolutely no control over. It was a fate worse than death, and I prayed that someone might find a way to deliver me from it. Anyway, after I returned to the right mind and learned that you were the one who discovered the cure, that's when I began to fall for you, Huntie."

"Wow. We really were oblivious to each other's feelings for a long time, weren't we?"

"I guess so. But that doesn't matter. We're together now, and that's what matters, right?"

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Colleen." Hunter reached out and stroked Colleen's cheek. "I'm so glad that I got to meet you, Colleen," he said.

"And I'm glad that I got to meet you, Huntie," Colleen reciprocated. "Huntie?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"I can tell from the way you're staring that you want to kiss me, so stop staring and kiss me already."

"No need to tell me twice. Here I come." And with that Hunter captured Colleen's mouth with his own, resulting in a kiss that lasted almost two minutes. Then they "came up for air" and cuddled for a while. Then, Angel's voice came up on the PA: "Rovers, breakfast is ready. Come and get it." Then the PA was silent. Hunter looked at Colleen. "Let's go get breakfast," he said to her. So the pair headed to the mess hall. The other Rovers—including Hunter's parents—were already there. "Morning, Mom, Dad, guys," he greeted them. They greeted him back. Hunter and Colleen served themselves, then they sat down with Hunter's family. Hunter noticed that Angel's head was resting on Blitz's chest and Goldie's head on Shadow's chest. He also noticed that Blitz had his arm around Angel and Shadow's arm was holding Goldie. Then he felt a weight on his own chest. He looked down and saw that Colleen had followed the suit of the other females at the table. Mirroring the gestures of the other males, he put his arm around Colleen. The six of them ate their respective meals like this. Just after they finished, a doorbell sound came over the PA, followed by Dr. Shepard saying, "Rovers, would one of you please answer the door?"

"I'll be going," Exile offered. "I'll let you lovebirds enjoy each other." When he got out of earshot, he muttered, "Also, I don't want to be watching you guys right now." He got to the front door and opened it. When he did, he saw an obviously female figure wearing a hooded kimono. "Hello," he greeted her.

" _Kon'ichi wa_ ," the figure replied.

"May I be helping youski?"

" _Hai_ ," the figure replied. "Is this the residence of Dr. Scott Shepard- _san_?"

" _Da_ , it is," Exile answered the question. "I will be taking youski to him. Follow me." So Exile led the figure to Shepard's office and knocked on the door. Shepard responded, "Come in, Exile. Bring the other one in too."

"His doing thatski still is giving me the willies," Exile observed.

" _Hai_ ," the figure agreed. "It is quite uncanny." Then they entered Shepard's office. "Have a seat, both of you," he said. So Exile and the figure both sat down. Shepard addressed Exile first. "Is this who rang the doorbell?" he asked him.

" _Da_ , Master," Exile confirmed. Then Shepard addressed the figure. "I see you're wearing a kimono. Have you come from Japan?" The figure nodded, saying, " _Hai_ , Shepard- _san_. _Watashi wa_ Hanamura Sakura _desu_. My father, Hanamura Hirokazu, worked with you on Project Top Dog. It truly is a pleasure to finally meet the man about whom my father spoke so often."

Shepard started visibly. "You're Hiro- _san_ 's daughter? I didn't know that he was married."

"He was not. He adopted me. This should clear things up." Sakura pulled back her hood, revealing a human-sized, pink-furred Akita Inu with emerald-green eyes.

Exile was gobsmacked. _Another Cano-Sapien?_ he thought to himself. _Is it possible?_ He had no time to process this, though, as he did not want to space out. Presently Shepard was tapping his cheek thoughtfully. "I'd heard that Hiro- _san_ had built his own Transdogrifier and tested it, and that he'd beaten me to the punch in doing so, but I'd dismissed the report as a wild rumor. So, you must be the dog he'd tested it on." Sakura nodded. "Then he raised you as his daughter." Sakura nodded again. Then Shepard observed, "I must say, though, you speak English rather well."

" _Arigatou_ ," Sakura replied. "I had a really good teacher. Anyway, the reason why I have come here is that my father has sent me to live with you and your family. It was his last wish."

"Last wish? So Hiro- _san_ is gone, then."

Sakura's expression turned sad, and she sniffled. " _Hai_. He passed away four days ago." She didn't know why, but she clung to Exile and cried her eyes out. Exile could only stroke her fur in a calming manner as Shepard held a moment of silence for his departed colleague. Then he spoke again: "He wasn't much older than I. What happened?"

"He became sick a year ago," Sakura said amid her tears. "Cancer of the lungs. He had a smoking habit. Watching him deteriorate before my eyes was very hard. After his passing, I mourned him for three days, then I buried his remains, got on a plane, and before I knew it I was here."

"He must have sent you to me because he was worried about you being all alone in the world."

" _Hai_. That is exactly what he told me before his passing. He also told me that there were others like me living with you, and it seems that he was right."

"Quite so, but how did he know that I had Cano-Sapiens as well? I shared that info with _nobody_."

"He probably had a hunchski," Exile offered.

"Darn good hunch, then." Then Shepard had a thought. "Where are my manners? Welcome to my home, Sakura. I guess it's now your home too."

" _Doumo arigatou_ , Shepard- _shishou_."

"Did you bring anything with you?"

" _Hai_." Sakura held up a rather large bag. "Here it is."

"That bag looks awfully heavy. Your super ability must be super strength."

"Not really. _Watashi wa_ Akita Inu _desu_. Actually, my talents are knowing how things work and fixing them when they cease to function." She paused, as if to consider something. "My coat also smells like cherry blossoms."

"That must be the smell I noticed the second you'd stepped into my office. Interesting. The first two Transdogrifiers I built really messed up the dogs I used them on. Perhaps you could take a look at them and find out where I went wrong?"

" _Hai_ , _Shishou_. Could I get settled in first, though?"

"Well, I don't have a spare room right now. You'll have to share a room with someone. Exile, take Sakura's personal effects to your quarters. When you've done that, summon the team to the Transdogrifier room." Exile saluted, took Sakura's bag, and off he went. "Let's get started, shall we?" he said to Sakura. So they went to the Transdogrifier room, and Shepard took Scout with him. When they got there, Sakura asked, "Which ones are they?" Shepard pointed them out and said, "Work on this one first." He pointed to the first one he'd pointed out.

" _Yosh_." And Sakura went to work. Before long the other Rovers showed up in the room. "Road Rovers, I'd like for you to meet your newest member. Presenting Sakura Hanamura. She's from Japan. Sakura, say hello to Hunter, Colleen, Blitz, Shag, Angel, Goldie, Shadow, Professor Hubert, and Confuse-us. You've already met Exile, and this Rottweiler is Scout." Each Cano-Sapien waved as Shepard said his or her name. Sakura paused her work, stood up, and bowed Japanese-style. " _Kon'ichi wa_ , Road Rovers," she greeted them, "it is a pleasure to meet you all." The team reciprocated. Then Sakura went back to work.

"What's the story, Master?" Hunter said.

"Her former master—who'd worked with me on inventing the Transdogrifier—passed away four days ago."

Sakura paused her work again. "Excuse me," she said indignantly. "He was my _father_."

"My apologies, Sakura. Carry on." So Sakura returned to her work. "Anyway," Shepard continued, "as Exile could tell you as he's the one who answered the door, she turned up at our front door just now."

"What is she?" Colleen queried. "I've never seen a dog that looks—or _smells_ —like that."

"She's an Akita Inu, Colleen."

"Do they all have pink fur and smell like flowers?" Hunter asked.

"No, Hunter. Her appearance and odor are unique. Hiro- _san_ once told me that he'd found an orphaned Akita Inu pup with a cherry blossom petal stuck to her forehead and that, despite all his efforts to remove it, it stayed firmly attached, so, in honor of that stubborn cherry blossom petal, he'd named her Sakura—the Japanese word for the cherry blossom." He gestured to Sakura. "That pup became what you see before you. I surmise that during her Transdogrification the petal dissolved—since it's not there anymore—and the color and smell seeped into her fur, giving it exactly the same color and smell as a cherry blossom."

Shag said something unintelligible. "Yes, Shag," Exile agreed. "She _does_ smell nice. And she's quite beautiful, too."

Sakura paused her work a third time. "I _a_ _m_ right here, you know," she reminded them testily. "Do _not_ talk about me behind my back."

"You're wasting time, Sakura," Shepard told her.

"Oh. Right." And she went back to work.

"So now you know the basics about Sakura," Shepard said to the team.

"Yes, Master," Hunter said. Turning to Sakura, he said, "On behalf of the Road Rovers, I welcome you to the team." The other Rovers nodded their agreement.

" _Doumo arigatou_ , Hunter- _taichou_ ," Sakura replied.

"I'm glad that's settled, Rovers," Shepard said. "You're all good, good dogs." Three minutes passed, then Sakura announced, "I have finished, Shepard- _shishou_."

"Well, that didn't take very long at all," Shepard mused. He nudged Scout gently with his foot. "Go ahead, Scout," he urged, "try it out." Panting excitedly, Scout entered the machine, and when he emerged, he was bipedal and wearing the standard Road Rover armor. He shook himself all over. "For the first time in my life," he said, "I feel sane." Then he realized what he'd just done. "Holy crap! I can talk now!" He went up to Sakura and embraced her. "Because of you," he said to her, "my insanity is gone. Words cannot express how thankful I am."

"You are most welcome, Scout- _sempai_. I'm just glad I was able to help."

He released her. "Have we now become friends?"

" _Hai_. We have."

"Sweet! Thanks again!"

Sakura laughed despite herself. "Once again, my friend, you are welcome."

Shepard then turned to Shag. "You might want to use your unit one last time before Sakura fixes it." Shag shrugged, then entered the unit. Shag emerged as a quadruped. "That's your cue, Sakura," Shepard said. "Get to work."

"On it, _Shishou_." And she went to work. Fifteen minutes later, she was done. "Well, Shag?" Shepard invited. Shag didn't need to be told twice, entering the device without a second thought. Shag emerged bipedal and wearing the standard Road Rover armor. Littering the device was everything that had been in Shag's fur. Also, the hair that had obscured Shag's eyes had vanished, letting everyone see that Shag's eyes were a vibrant blue. Sakura was confused. "What just happened?"

"I probably should have told you," Shepard said. "Shag's talent was storing things."

"Anybody could do that, though."

"Yes, but Shag's coat was used for the storing. Apparently, this ability doesn't work if Shag's wearing something."

"Yes, that seems to be the case," Shag said. "Ay-yi-yi, what a bloody mess." Then Shag noticed that everyone was staring in Shag's direction. "What?"

"Shag," Blitz said, "you just enunciated."

"Also," Exile added, "your voice has a thick Polish accent."

"How would you know what a Polish accent sounds like?" Blitz asked Exile.

"I'm Russian, as you know. Both languages are being Slavic languages. Shag's accent is sounding kind of like mine, but it's not being exactly the same. That's how I knowski, weird boy."

Sakura cocked her head in a confused manner. "Why did you call Blitz- _sempai_ 'weird boy', Exile- _sempai_?"

"He _is_ weird boy. That's why." Blitz's ears drooped. "He _is_ getting better, though," Exile noted, and Blitz's ears perked back up.

"On top of all that, Shag," Colleen said to get the discussion back on track, "you sound like a girl."

"What's so strange about that?" Shag asked her. "Didn't you know?"

"Shag, are you trying to tell us that you're _female_?" Hunter asked incredulously.

"Not _trying_ , Hunter; I'm _telling_ you."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Nobody asked."

"Yet another unexpected twist." Then Hunter reflected on past events. "It explains a lot, though, so no bummer." He turned to Shepard. "Did _you_ know about this?" Shepard sheepishly nodded. Hunter's only response was a facepalm.

"In regards to my accent, Colleen," Shag said, "I was born in Warsaw. This means that I am from Poland and thus Polish. Three days before Shepard called me, I ran away to Switzerland. That's why I was in Switzerland at the time."

"I suppose that makes sense," Colleen conceded.

Scout, however, regarded Shag. "If you don't mind my saying so, Shag," he said, "you're _beautiful._ "

"I don't mind, Scout, and thank you. You're quite handsome yourself."

"Can I tell you something else?"

"It's probably the same thing that I need to tell you, so sure."

"Say it at the same time?"

"Sure, why not?" They both took a deep breath, then said in unison, "I've had a crush on you for a while now, Shag/Scout. You have? Yes, I have. That's great! Jinx!" They both had a good laugh at that, then Scout said, "Shag?"

"Yes, Scout?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Only if you'll be my boyfriend."

"You've got yourself a deal." Scout and Shag shook hands, and then Shag suddenly pulled Scout close and kissed him. Everyone, even Exile, applauded the relationship upgrade. Then Scout turned to address everyone. "By the way, guys, I've never liked you calling me 'Muzzle'. My name is Scout. Use it." The Rovers promised Scout that they would. Then Scout asked, "Who wants to watch a movie with me in the rec room?" Almost instantly the room emptied, except for Shepard and Sakura. Sakura looked questioningly at Shepard. "They're your family now, Sakura," he told her. "Go make bonds with them."

" _Hai_ , _Shishou_ ," Sakura said. "I go now." She began to follow the other Rovers to the rec room, but then she turned back and embraced Shepard. "Thank you for accepting me, _Shishou_ ," she said, then she went to the rec room in earnest. When she got there she saw the very beginning of the movie Scout had picked. " _Star Wars_!" she exclaimed. "I absolutely _love_ this film!" Quick as a wink, she sat down right in front of the TV. Angel was sitting next to her, and she smiled. _Finally_ , she thought, _someone who likes_ Star Wars _as much as I do_. _I think_ _we'll be the best of friends_. The ten Cano-Sapiens watched the movie together and chatted with each other, never realizing that Shepard was standing in the rec room's doorway, watching the scene unfold. _Yes, Rovers_ , he thought, _you're all good, good dogs_. Chuckling quietly to himself, he returned to his office.

 **End of chapter 9**


End file.
